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Of 363 women in poll fray, only 22 make it to new AssemblyThe Audible: Bill Belichick and the new college football landscape

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COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for a score as Incarnate Word beat East Texas A&M 38-24 on Saturday to claim the Southland Conference title. Incarnate Word (10-2, 7-0) became the first team in program history to finish undefeated in conference play. The No. 6 Cardinals await the FCS selection show on Sunday to learn the playoff matchups. Calzada came in leading the FCS in passing touchdowns with 30 on the season and No. 6 for passing yards (3,018). He finished 26 of 40 with an interception against East Texas A&M. Incarnate Word linebacker Darius Sanders made his third interception in two games then Calzada launched a 43-yard pass to Jalen Walthall to tie it at 14 midway through the second quarter. The Cardinals' Marcus Brown blocked a 45-yard field-goal attempt that would have broken a tie at 24 early in the fourth. Calzada found wide-open Logan Compton in the end zone for a 31-24 lead. Mason Pierce was also left wide open for an 18-yard score with 2:43 left. Ron Peace was 21 of 38 for 165 yards with one touchdown and one interception for East Texas (3-9, 2-4). He also rushed for a score. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

An Italian renewable energy giant and Japan’s largest oil and gas company are plugging into Australia’s clean energy resources under the banner of a new company. Potentia Energy will be launched at the Sydney Opera House on Monday as an Australian renewable energy firm co-owned by Rome-headquartered Enel Green Power and INPEX. With rights in place for a development pipeline of over seven gigawatts across the country, Potentia is most focused on developing and acquiring assets in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, chief executive Werther Esposito told AAP. The company is not deterred by the risk of political change, with opinion polls favouring the coalition ahead of the 2025 federal election. “The energy transition will go ahead in any case. There could be an acceleration or slowing down in the process,” Mr Esposito said. “Renewables represent, from a technical and economic perspective, the solution for climate change,” he said. “I don’t think any government could deny that today wind and solar are cheaper than other technologies, and are faster in reaching the phase of deployment and construction and then supply of renewable energy.” NSW had suffered some planning delays that had hit investment but there had been a “strong improvement” in the past 12 to 18 months, he said. The company also has a stake in Queensland, particularly in the north’s Copperstring area, where the recently elected LNP government has pledged to stick by a massive transmission project begun under Labor. Enel won the bidding in 2024 to develop renewable energy to power a vanadium mining and processing project, which is one of a number of giant resources projects intended to be connected to the $9 billion Copperstring transmission line from Townsville to Mt Isa. WA offered a “huge opportunity” for the deployment of wind farms and battery energy storage systems, Mr Esposito said. With a decades-long footprint in Australia’s north and west, INPEX is Japan’s largest fossil fuel exploration and production company. Under pressure to reduce its global contribution to climate change, INPEX is already developing the production of liquid hydrogen and ammonia. “They elected Australia as the market to start diversification of the energy mix and huge investment in renewables,” Mr Esposito said. “Of course in this regard, Australia is the place to be,” he said. Enel and INPEX joined forces in a share purchase agreement in 2023, with the renewables business operating plants comprising 310 megawatts of solar capacity across South Australia and Victoria and a 75MW wind farm in Western Australia. A 93MW solar farm is under commissioning in Victoria and financial close was recently announced for a hybrid 98MW solar and 20MW battery project in NSW. But with international firms lining up to exploit clean energy resources, Australians living alongside projects are demanding a share of future profits through community funds, power bill rebates and other benefits. “The energy transition should be just. To be just it means that you need to support the communities and involve the communities in a proper way,” Mr Esposito said. He said Enel was proud of its legacy in providing support to areas facing a changing landscape and the impact of new infrastructure, including community funds, a focus on local hiring and providing training to support new jobs. “It’s an approach that is, for us, absolutely a pillar of our strategy,” he said. “We are still facing some regulatory ambiguity in what a social licence means, and we are trying to be a leader in the industry in helping and supporting all the key stakeholders in determining and defining what it is.”

Retail sales rose at healthy pace last month in latest sign of US economy's health WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. Retail sales rose 0.7% in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain. The boost in spending underscores that the economy is still growing at a healthy pace even with higher interest rates, a trend that could cause the Federal Reserve to lower borrowing costs more slowly next year than they have previously signaled. Tuesday’s report arrives just a day before the Fed is set to announce its latest rate decision Wednesday. Americans end 2024 with grim economic outlook, but Republicans are optimistic for 2025: AP-NORC poll WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that Democrats are feeling more pessimistic about the U.S. economy after Donald Trump's victory. Republicans, meanwhile, are still dour about the current state of the economy but hopeful that growth will be stronger next year when Trump returns to the White House as president. The latest survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that some Americans are evaluating the economy more by who holds political power than on what the underlying trends suggest. This was a persistent challenge for President Joe Biden and raises the possibility that Trump might also struggle to translate his economic ideas into political wins. Energy chief Granholm warns against 'unfettered exports' of liquefied natural gas WASHINGTON (AP) — Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the incoming Trump administration should proceed cautiously as it considers proposals for new natural gas export terminals. Granholm warns that “unfettered exports” of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, could raise wholesale domestic prices by more than 30% and increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Granholm’s statement Tuesday came as the Energy Department released a long-awaited study on the environmental and economic impacts of natural gas exports, which have grown exponentially in the past decade. The analysis found that U.S. LNG shipments drive up domestic prices and could lead to higher global carbon emissions. Biden calls for ban on congressional stock trading WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has endorsed a ban on congressional stock trading in an interview that’s being released this week. It's the first time he's publicly backed the idea. He made the comments to Faiz Shakir, a political adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders. Shakir interviewed the Democratic president for A More Perfect Union, a pro-labor advocacy and journalism organization. The Associated Press reviewed a video of the interview before its release. A bipartisan proposal to ban trading by members of Congress and their families has dozens of sponsors, but it has not received a vote. What does Big Tech hope to gain from warming up to Trump? NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. The tech list includes Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Meanwhile, the list of what the executives may be hoping for includes an open path toward developing artificial intelligence, easier access to energy for data centers and an easing of antitrust enforcement. Trump sues Des Moines Register, pollster for 'election interference' after inaccurate poll President-elect Donald Trump is accusing the Des Moines Register newspaper and its pollster of “brazen election interference” for publishing a poll the weekend before the election that showed Democrat Kamala Harris was leading by three percentage points in the midwestern state. Pollster J. Ann Selzer's survey was considered a real surprise at the time — and Trump wound up winning Iowa by more than 13 points. The Register called the lawsuit meritless and said it stands by its reporting. It continues a campaign against the media by the president-elect, who this past weekend won a settlement in a defamation lawsuit against ABC. Prosecutors charge suspect with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO as an act of terrorism NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism. Prosecutors disclosed the indictment Tuesday as they worked to bring Luigi Mangione to a New York court from from a Pennsylvania jail. The 26-year-old Mangione already had been charged with murder in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson. But the terror allegation is new. Under New York law, such a charge can be brought when an alleged crime is “intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policies of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.” Mangione's New York lawyer hasn't commented. Federal Reserve is likely to slow its rate cuts with inflation pressures still elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, by a quarter-point to about 4.3% when their meeting ends Wednesday. The problem is that while inflation has dropped far below its peak of 9.1% in mid-2022, it remains stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target. Why is tech giant SoftBank investing over $100 billion in the US? BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son has joined President-elect Donald Trump in announcing plans by technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States. Trump said the investments would create 100,000 jobs over four years, twice what Son promised when he pledged $50 billion in U.S. investments in 2016. Son is known for making bold choices, sometimes paying big and sometimes not. SoftBank has investments in dozens of Silicon Valley startups, big companies like semiconductor maker Arm and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock market rally and craze for AI has boosted the value of its assets, but some question if its investments will create that many jobs. Business owners should not forget anti-money laundering rule currently in legal limbo Small business owners should not forget about a rule that requires them to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1. The registration is part of the Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. Registering isn’t difficult, but if a small business owner is unaware of the requirement, they could be slapped with penalties of up to $10,000. For now, the rule is in legal limbo. On Dec. 3 a federal court in Texas issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the rule.Meghan Markle's decision to 'withdraw' from public life laid bare after failed projects

It is probably the scariest movie trailer you’ll hear this year. No, not “see”, though the visuals are frightening enough – a bloodied body hanging upside-down, towers of skulls, a Ghostface mask – but “hear”. The trailer for 2025’s 28 Years Later , the final movie in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s zombie trilogy after 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later in 2002 and 2007 respectively, is soundtracked by a recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s poem Boots . No music track could be more unsettling nor discordant, and few could have captured the collective online imagination the way Boots has, with thousands of social media shares and approving comments. Written in 1903, Boots imagines the thoughts of a British Army infantryman forced to march in South Africa during the Second Boer War which had just ended. Deliberately monotonous and repetitive, the poem is precisely metered: reading the first four words of each line at the rate of two words per second gives the exact time to which the soldiers marched. The trailer uses only certain sections of the poem, the horror mounting with every line. Seven – six – eleven – five – nine-an’ twenty mile today Four – eleven – seventeen – thirty-two the day before – Boots – boots – boots – boots – movin’ up and down again! There’s no discharge in the war!luckycola download apk 。

The New York Giants on Friday released their starting quarterback and former high first-round pick Daniel Jones a couple of days after demoting him to the number 3 quarterback. The Giants were going to release him after the season as he had an over $20 million injury-protected guarantee. I think the Dolphins should try to sign him after he clears waivers. I’m not saying Daniel Jones is the answer at backup quarterback, but he seems like a fit in this offense. Jones got rid of the ball quickly in 2.5 seconds, not as quick as starter Tua Tagovalioa, but close enough. The Dolphins screwed their backup quarterback position this year, and they paid the price, but now is a chance for Mike McDaniel and Frank Smith to build back up another young quarterback, whose confidence must be shattered, just like he did with Tagovailoa a couple of years ago. Jones was caught in the middle of a regime change with the Giants in 2022 as they brought in a new general manager and head coach, so they inherited him. Jones played out the final year of his rookie contract and played the best season of his career. He led the Giants to the playoffs and won a road playoff game. Winning a playoff game is something Tagovailoa hasn’t done in his career. Jones’ career turned south in a hurry after the Giants gave him a new 4-year $160 million contract. The Giants sunk fast, and Jones didn’t play well, but the Giants didn’t help him out either. Their offensive line is a mess; they let their best playmaker, running back Saquan Barkley, leave this off-season, and outside of the top pick, Malik Nabers has no playmakers to throw the ball to. Now Jones has to play better, and he does not see the field well, and that’s probably because his confidence was shattered. He knew the righting was on the wall with the New York media always speculating about his job, and it didn’t help the Giants considered trading up for a quarterback in last year’s draft one year after giving Jones that contract. In the last few years, we have seen many high-draft pick quarterbacks get released by the teams that drafted them and resurrect their careers elsewhere. Sam Darnold was the number 3 pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the New York Jets, and this year is the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, who are 8-2 and on their way to the playoffs. The Vikings drafted a quarterback in the first round of this year’s draft, but Darnold will land on his feet elsewhere. Baker Mayfield was the number 1 pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 draft, and after they dumped him a few years ago, he landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a year and led them to the playoffs. He got a new contract and has the Bucs in the playoff hunt again. Geno Smith was a second-round pick of the Jets years ago, and after bouncing around the league, he landed on his feet with the Seattle Seahawks and got coached up to play well. He led them to the playoffs a couple of years ago and got a new deal and is doing well. These are just a few examples off the top of my head, but what it shows is that going to the right situation can help build a quarterback up and play well. Tagovailoa clashed with former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, and the Dolphins changed coaches. McDaniel has gotten Tagovailoa to play the best football of his career . He rebuilt his confidence, which was shattered, and brought out a personality that no one had seen before to lead this team. This is a time for Jones to get a fresh start and rebuild his career, and McDaniel could be the guy to do that. I think the Dolphins should seriously consider signing him for the rest of the year and next year to see if McDaniel can build him back up like he did Tagovailoa as well as see what he can do on the field. Jones’s skill set just looks like a good fit for the Dolphins. An acorn fell out of the tree, and it’s time for the Dolphins to pick him up. What do they have to lose? This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.PITTSBURGH — Clairton entered Saturday’s WPIAL Class A championship game against Fort Cherry having allowed 21 points in 13 games. The Rangers matched that total to win back-to-back WPIAL titles following a 21-20 victory at Acrisure Stadium. Fort Cherry improved to 14-0 this season and won the second district title in program history. The Rangers join McDonald (1951 and ’52) and Chartiers-Houston (1971 and ’72) as the only teams in Washington County to win two straight WPIAL championships. “I think that we knew coming into this game that we have a pretty potent offense,” Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry said. “We were aware of what they had done all year, and we looked at it as a challenge. We preached to our team all week that we have to play a full fourth quarters.” Fort Cherry will play District 9 champion Port Allegany (13-0) in the state semifinals. The Rangers advanced to the state final last year, and are definitely battle tested heading into next week’s game, which will be played either Friday or Saturday. “On the defensive line, they (Clairton) were strong,” Fort Cherry senior lineman Joey Klose said. “They were the second seed and 13-0 for a reason. It was the first time all year I was on the ground a couple of times. “Nobody thought we could do it, and we did it, and that’s huge for the underdog mentality for me. McDonald and Fort Cherry picked us.” The Bears’ season ends at 13-1, but not without playing in an instant classic in search of the program’s 15th WPIAL title. “I just told my kids in the locker room, ‘They have nothing to hang their heads about,'” said Clairton coach Wayne Wade. “We gave it all we had. We were a little banged up the last couple of weeks. It kind of made us play a different way tonight. I guess it got the best of us. I just want to thank our school administration, and everybody that has supported this year.” The Bears held Fort Cherry quarterback and Penn State recruit Matt Sieg in check, but the junior was able to rush for two scores and threw the game-tying touchdown pass to Ryan Huey with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-five. Sieg used his athleticism to avoid being sacked on the pass to Huey, as he found his teammate in the flat. The sophomore was wide open and raced down the right side of the field into the end zone. “I just back pedaled, looked to my right, and a credit to Ryan, he was open,” Sieg said. “This result is a testament to everybody. We have put in a lot of hard work, and my parents really pushed me when I was growing up.” Nik Massey connected on the third of three extra points, which was the game winner. Garry was ecstatic with the result of the play, but admitted it wasn’t something he drew up. “That one is called, ‘Run around in a circle and find someone,'” said Garry. “It was a bad call by me. Our idea was to try and give them a similar look on what we had just converted the fourth down on. “Matt was actually supposed to keep that one. It was supposed to be a fake reverse, but he turned around and made a play. Ryan did a great job staying alive on the play. It was a very impressive play all the way around.” Huey had a 360-degree turn of emotions in one play, as he fumbled before scoring the biggest touchdown of his life. The Rangers converted on two fourth-down conversions earlier in the drive when Huey caught a 20-yard pass on a reverse from Shane Cornali with four yards to go that took the ball to the Clairton 29-yard line. “My teammates were telling me all day to remain focused and stay the athlete that I am,” Huey said. “It felt like it was in slow motion coming down. It was a great feeling getting into the end zone.” The Rangers went 82 yards on 13 plays on their game-winning drive that took 4:56 off the clock. Huey caught two passes for 33 yards and Cornali pulled in four receptions for 65 yards. Evan Rogers had one catch for 44 yards. Massey not only made three PATs, but he also pulled in one reception for 34 yards. Massey’s contributions were not lost on Garry, as kicking in Class A football can be a tossup. Clairton attempted two-point conversions on its three touchdowns, and went 1-for-2. “We start every single practice by kicking 10 extra points, and we count it out all the way up to 10,” Garry said. “It’s Matt’s (Sieg) job to constantly hound Nik (Massey) and just try and get in his head so he’s not mentally weak. I’ll be honest, most days, Matt kind of wins that exchange, but Nik has built up a whole lot of confidence, and for him to make those extra points today was huge.” Sieg was 8 of 15 for 161 yards with one touchdown. He rushed for 87 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns. The Bears couldn’t utilize their passing game with quarterback Jeff Thompson unable to throw, but still used their speed to take a 6-0 lead with 2:58 left in the first period when Mike Ruffin raced 79 yards for a touchdown. “The last few weeks we just grinded out some games against some good football teams without being able to throw,” Wade said. “That shows the heart of a champion of our team to lose our quarterback, and not really have a backup guy.” Fort Cherry responded on its next possession and Sieg scored from four yards out to finish a four-play, 62-yard drive, and the Rangers had a 7-6 advantage with 1:46 remaining in the first quarter. Sieg powered through from one-yard out with 19 seconds left in the second quarter, and Fort Cherry took a 14-6 lead into halftime. Drahcir Jones’ 58-yard run and Ruffin’s three yarder gave Clairton a 20-14 lead after three quarters. Ruffin’s two-point conversion run tied the game at 14-14 with 10:57 left in the third quarter. Ruffin gained 162 yards on 14 carries and Jones rushed for 90 yards on 10 carries. Teammate Deon Pompey added 59 yards on eight attempts. Darren Pinson led the Bears in tackles with 10, including one for loss. Clairton’s Jaece Booker had an interception. Blake Sweder led Fort Cherry’s defense with 12 tackles, including one for loss. Teammate Tyler Wolfe made 10 stops (3.5 for a loss). The Bears were penalized 11 times for 90 yards, while the Rangers were called for infractions seven times for 45 yards. “We probably had six or seven holding penalties called against us, and they were at big moments in the game,” Wade said. “I don’t want to get in trouble with that kind of stuff. I just wanted to point that out because that type of thing in a championship game shouldn’t happen.”

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Visitors enjoy snow fun at the Alps Snow Live indoor ski resort in Taicang, east China’s Jiangsu Province. — Xinhua photo NANJING (Dec 15): Skis strapped on, goggles tightened, and helmet fastened. Wang Lin took a deep breath before hurtling down a 138-meter-long indoor slope, immersing herself in the exhilarating rush of speed. For Wang, a novice skier, there is no need to travel thousands of kilometers to China’s frozen northern frontiers. Just two kilometers from her home in Wuxi, a two-hour drive from Shanghai, lies a fairy-tale-like haven whose decor and soft snow can whisk her into a winter’s dream. “Skiing is a huge stress reliever,” Wang said, beaming after her run. “My whole family can visit the ski resort every week. It’s incredibly convenient.” Known as Wuxi Bonski, the indoor facility spans 17,500 square meters and attracts hundreds of enthusiasts daily. Notably, around 70 percent of the visitors hail from the Yangtze River Delta region, where sustained snowfall is a rarity. For many urbanites accustomed to mild winters, a facility like this redefines the season in an environment where natural snow remains elusive. China’s winter sports market is on a meteoric rise. According to the latest industry report, the scale of the country’s ice-and-snow economy is expected to reach 970 billion yuan (133 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024 and surpass 1 trillion yuan in 2025. Backed by government directives aiming to leverage winter sports as a catalyst for high-quality growth, the sector is forecast to expand to 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027, and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030. As the winter unfolds, ice skaters and skiers are spreading well beyond traditional northern strongholds, bringing the speed and adrenaline of winter sports to nearly every corner of the country. People ski at the Wuxi Bonski ski resort in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province. — Xinhua photo Snow is no obstacle Wang, who can deftly navigate green runs, represents a growing cohort of ice-and-snow sports enthusiasts forging a new winter culture in southern China. “People in the south have always been fascinated by snow, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics truly ignited our passion for winter sports,” she said, explaining why many southerners share her enthusiasm. People ski at the Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, the world’s largest indoor ski resort in Shanghai. — Xinhua photo Beijing’s hosting of the Winter Olympics, which spurred the engagement of over 300 million Chinese in winter sports, proved transformative. Gone are the days when only a niche northern community embraced such pursuits. Now, seniors and youngsters alike glide across ice rinks and swoosh down indoor slopes in places where real snowfall is seldom seen. The proliferation of facilities has rendered winter sports, once an exotic and expensive pastime, more accessible than ever. Teenagers in warmer locations like Shanghai and Shenzhen now have regular training options for skating, ice hockey and other winter disciplines. Data from China’s General Administration of Sport show that the number of winter sports venues nationwide reached 2,847 by the end of 2023, up 16.11 percent year on year. Many of these facilities are nestled in southern regions. For instance, Jiangsu now hosts about 50 ice-and-snow venues covering more than 640,000 square meters, with around 300,000 students from 1,000 schools in the province engaged in winter sports. In Jiangsu’s Taicang City, the Alps Snow Live indoor ski resort, boasting 54,000 square meters and five slopes of varying gradients up to 280 meters, draws throngs of children and adults daily. Excited screams echo as they experience winter’s delights firsthand. “In just one year since opening, we’ve welcomed over 300,000 visitors, each spending about 700 yuan on average,” said Xu Xiaoliang, operations manager of the resort. “Compared to natural snow venues in the north, indoor slopes are more suitable for beginners and children because of gentler inclines and shorter runs.” For China, a relative latecomer to winter sports, the increasing number of novices taking up skiing and snowboarding signals vast market potential. According to travel platform Ctrip, four out of the top five cities for ski-related bookings last winter were in southern China, underscoring winter sports as a major driver of consumption in milder climates. Kids take training courses at the Alps Snow Live indoor ski resort in Taicang, east China’s Jiangsu Province. — Xinhua photo Snow starts a gold rush As enthusiasm for winter sports surges, the knock-on effects for tourism, culture and equipment manufacturing are profound. Winter tourism, for example, boomed last season. China recorded over 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 38 percent, with related revenue up 50 percent. In Harbin, a traditional winter tourism hot spot in northeastern China, last snow season saw over 87 million visitors, up 300 percent year on year, and 124.8 billion yuan in tourism revenue, up 500 percent. Performers act during a ceremony celebrating the 100-day countdown to the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. — Xinhua photo With the city set to host the Asian Winter Games next February, right after China’s Spring Festival holiday, the local ice-and-snow economy looks poised for another explosive season. To accelerate growth in the northeastern region’s winter economy, the Chinese government has recently unveiled initiatives including establishing dedicated ice-and-snow holidays, increasing flight routes and optimizing visa-free policies, all aimed at attracting more domestic and international visitors. Xu believes that China holds huge promise in achieving a north-south synergy in the ice-and-snow economy. By strengthening linkages – where beginners start on southern indoor slopes before honing their skills on northern mountains – regions can pool resources and create year-round appeal. “By offering discounted tickets and bundled experiences, consumers can make their getaways more diverse, enriching travel experiences throughout the year,” Xu said. “Winter sports provide a prime opportunity for the ice-and-snow economy to transition from passive sightseeing to immersive, social, experience-based consumption,” said Wang Yuxiong, a sports economics researcher at the Central University of Finance and Economics. “They can reshape business models, enhance added value and foster sustainable development.” Major sports events, both domestic and international, are proving their worth. China’s 14th National Winter Games, held earlier this year in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is estimated to have generated about 32 billion yuan in sports-related spending during the competition period. Moreover, China’s winter sports equipment industry is snowballing, driven by advancements in 5G, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Think smart ski insoles that track performance and analyze data, heated snow boots that stay warm for five hours, and VR simulators that bring alpine thrills directly into one’s living room. Currently, China boasts a comprehensive suite of 15 categories of ice-and-snow equipment across the supply chain, from headgear to footwear, individual gear to venue equipment, and competitive apparatus to recreational tools. Su Yiming of Shanxi competes during men’s snowboard big air final at the 14th National Winter Games in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. — Xinhua photo “China’s ice-and-snow economy is a gold mine,” said Yan Yan, an associate professor at the Nanjing University of Technology. “Success hinges on crafting distinctive advantages and making winter sports irresistible to consumers.” “Under the country’s national fitness strategy, developing the ice-and-snow economy is akin to a marathon. The task is to ensure sustained effort and to inspire more people to lace up their skates, strap on their skis, and join the ride,” Yan added. — XinhuaMADRID (AP) — Real Valladolid beat Valencia 1-0 and rose off the bottom of La Liga on Friday. Moroccan forward Anuar scored with a solo effort after 19 minutes. “It's a sense of relief because we needed the three points,” Anuar said on broadcaster DAZN. “It was like a final, and fortunately, we managed to come out on top.” Valladolid's Juanmi Latasa was sent off 12 minutes from time after a video review showed he used an elbow, but the home side managed to hold on for the win against a toothless rival. It was a welcome three points for caretaker coach Álvaro Rubio and his first since replacing Paulo Pezzolano, who was fired at the start of December. Valencia replaced Valladolid on the bottom of the table. Valencia has only two wins in 15 league games, but two games in hand. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Apple Maps is expanding its capabilities with the introduction of a new feature called "Look Around." Similar to Google Street View, Look Around provides users with 360-degree panoramic views of their surroundings, enhancing the map experience and offering a more immersive way to explore locations. While the feature is currently being rolled out to the web version of Apple Maps, it has been available on the iPhone app since iOS 13. Initially, Apple launched its Maps service online in July as part of a public beta, offering basic features like directions and curated guides. ALSO READ | Google Doodle Today: Google Celebrates December's Final Half Moon By Releasing Interactive Game, Here's How To Play Apple Maps Look Around Feature: What Do We Know? According to a report from 9to5Mac, Look Around is currently available in several cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other regions. A full list of supported locations can be found on Apple’s website, which continues to expand its coverage. The "Look Around" feature, introduced on December 11, is being progressively rolled out to additional regions. Users can now access it on the Apple Maps web app by selecting the binoculars icon, similar to its functionality on iOS. This enhancement brings the web version closer to the mobile experience, offering a more robust mapping tool for users across various platforms, including Windows PCs. In comparison, Google Maps and Google Earth have long featured Google Street View, which provides interactive panoramic views of locations worldwide. Launched in 2007 in select US cities, Street View has since expanded to cover urban and rural areas globally, becoming a staple in digital mapping. The Apple Maps web app, still in public beta, includes features like directions, point-of-interest and business searches, map exploration, and guides. However, it currently lacks some advanced capabilities found on its mobile version, such as 3D buildings, transit maps, and Apple ID sign-in for personalised services. According to Apple, additional features, languages, and platform support are planned for future updates. It is expected that Apple will eventually allow users to log in with their Apple ID to access saved locations and other customized functionalities.21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court ruling

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The Winnipeg Jets, who have the National Hockey League’s best record, visit the Pittsburgh Pengiuns on Friday night. The game from PPG Paints Arena will start at 7 p.m. ET and you can watch it on the NHL Network or live stream it on ESPN+ , fubo TV (add-on, FREE trial), Sling TV (add-on, discount) or DirecTV Stream (add-on, FREE trial and discount). Winnipeg has 7-2-0 record on the road and lead NHL play with 80 goals, averaging 4.2. The Jets, even with losses in two of their last three games, are 16-3-0. They have woken up alone atop the NHL standings every day for the last four weeks. They will lead the league after 20 games for the first time. A win Friday in Pittsburgh would tie the Jets for the fifth-most points after 20 games in NHL history with 34; only four teams have had more, most recently the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks (37). They’re 15-0-0 when allowing three goals or less and score on 35.7% of their power plays, the best in the league so far. They’re winning by 1.79 goals per game, another league-best. They entered Wednesday second in goals per game and fifth in goals-against average. And they have incredible balance — the Jets have 11 players with at least 10 points, the most in the NHL. The rest of the league, on average, has six players with at least 10 points. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor lead with 24 points each (both top the team with 12 goals apiece) and Nikolaj Ehlers is next with 22. Finally, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner is even better this year. Connor Hellebuyck was the league’s best goalie a year ago after finishing 37-19-4 with a 2.39 GAA and .921 save percentage; this year, he’s 13-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .923 save percentage. “You’re pretty amazed, a little bit,” Jets coach Scott Arniel told The Associated Press . “At the same time, these players, they do have to recognize that it’s an amazing feat what they’ve done so far. But we’d like to just keep this going a little bit longer.” As for the Penguins (7-10-4, in the Metropolitan Division), they have lost four out of their last five games, including 3-2 at home on Tuesday night to Tampa Bay. The Penguins, who allowed a two-goal lead to slip away in the third period for the second straight game, have 12 losses in their last 16 overall. Pittsburgh has a 4-4-2 record in home games, and overall a minus-25 scoring differential, with 56 total goals scored and 81 allowed. Sidney Crosby leads in points (20) and is tied with Rickard Rakell in goals (7 apiece). Evgeni Malkin has posted 19 points. Alex Nedeljkovic is the best of the three goaltenders, with a 3.17 goals-against average. His record is 3-3-3. ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.CATL Launches the Bedrock Chassis That Withstands 120 km/h Impact Without Catching Fire or Exploding

Spain's monarch pays tribute to the victims of Valencia floods in his Christmas Eve speechSavannah Guthrie introduces new family member – see the adorable announcement hereSupreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry's rise JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia’s decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different. And the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. Both the award and the glitzy festival itself are signs of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to shaping a new film industry. The reopening of cinemas in 2018 after 35 years marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Unique among 'Person of the Year' designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine Donald Trump got something this year that no other person designed Time magazine's Person of the Year had ever received. He got a fact-check of claims that the president-elect made in the interview accompanying the magazine's piece. Trump earned the recognition of the year's biggest newsmaker for the second time, also winning it in 2016 the first time he was elected president. But in a piece described as a “12-minute” read, Time called into question more than a dozen statements Trump made when speaking to the magazine's reporters, on issues like border size, autism and crowd size at a rally. Time said it has fact-checked other interviews in the past, but not for this annual feature. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge. The development comes as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk was an early OpenAI investor and board member. But he sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. He has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI filed its response in court Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications.

Walmart says it’ll investigate after shopper claims using membership service doesn’t ‘save money’ from delivery debacle

Spunbond Market Trends and Forecast Sector Growth Report: Market Size, Share, and Forecast 2024 - 2031The Green Party is set to suffer significant losses in the Irish General Election, with its leader expecting just a handful of parliamentarians to be returned. Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said the party could not buck the trend in Ireland of junior coalition partners in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments losing support in subsequent elections. Advertisement He said they expected to retain two to three seats out of the 12 they had won in the 2020 election on the back of a worldwide “Green wave”. Advertisement “Undoubtedly it’s a disappointing result for our party today,” Mr O’Gorman told reporters in Ongar, Dublin. “It’s hard for a smaller party in government, that’s long been the tradition, the history in Ireland. We hoped going into the election to buck that but we haven’t been able to buck that today.” Mr O’Gorman, a candidate in Dublin West, is among the outgoing Green Party TDs in a battle to retain their seats. Culture Minister Catherine Martin, who is fighting to remain a Green Party TD for Dublin Rathdown, said it was a “very tight” race in her four-seat constituency. Advertisement “We go in (to government) not afraid of that because the issue of the climate and biodiversity crisis is (greater) than our survival,” she said on RTE Radio. “I stand over and am proud of our track record of delivery.” Advertisement Green candidate in Waterford Marc Ó Cathasaigh said he would not be “in the shake-up” to retain his seat in that constituency, while junior minister Ossian Smyth looks at risk of losing his seat in Dun Laoghaire. Junior minister Joe O’Brien is expected to lose his seat in Dublin Fingal, Neasa Hourigan is at risk in Dublin Central, while Wicklow’s Steven Matthews garnered just 4 per cent of first preferences. Former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who announced his retirement from frontline politics in June, said his party had not had a good day. Advertisement Arriving at the count centre at the RDS in Dublin, the outgoing environment minister told reporters: “If you don’t get elected you accept that, but you come back stronger and you learn lessons, and we’ve done that in the past and we will do that again.” He added: “No matter what the results today there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland, we have deep roots in the community and it’s a very distinct political philosophy and I think there is still space for that in Irish politics, for sure.” Mr Ryan said he did not believe his decision to retire, and the timing of his announcement, had affected the party’s showing. “Unfortunately – and this is just one of those days – we didn’t get the number of votes,” he said. He added: “We’ll look back and see what are the lessons, and what can we learn and what can we do differently. “It’s just one of those days when we didn’t have a good day.

American Airlines said on Tuesday its flights had resumed after a technical glitch forced the carrier to issue an hour-long ground stop, disrupting travel for thousands on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest periods of the year. A vendor technology issue briefly affected its ability to get planes in the air, the carrier said, without identifying the provider. While customers were still pressing for details on their delayed flights, the relatively brief stoppage means American will likely avoid a full-scale meltdown that could ripple for days during the peak holiday travel season. "Not a good start to Christmas Eve travel as current flight is grounded and Captain cannot provided ETA on resolution from system outage and/or paperwork error at national level. Will make connections or refunds more complicated too," a user said, tagging American Airlines on X. Shares of the carrier were down 0.6% in morning trade. It is the latest technical snag after carriers were hit by a global tech outage tied to Microsoft's Azure cloud platform and a software issue at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike earlier this year. The outage had cost Delta Air Lines at least $500 million. Two years ago, Southwest Airlines experienced a meltdown with its systems during the holidays that led to 16,900 flight cancellations and stranded 2 million passengers. It was eventually fined $140 million in the largest-ever civil penalty for a travel disruption. Airlines have upgraded their cybersecurity and operational software systems, but given that there was an exodus of talented workers during the pandemic, the glitches over the last few years are not altogether unexpected, said Ken Quinn, partner at law firm Clyde & Co. American Airlines operates thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in a statement on Tuesday referred Reuters to the airline, reiterating that the carrier had reported a technical issue. The issue with American was reportedly the inability of an automated system to calculate or deliver weight and balance (passenger/baggage/cargo mass and overall center of gravity) data required to legally dispatch each flight, said Robert Mann, a former airline executive who now runs a consulting firm. The management system may have been unable to load and compute engine power requirements and takeoff performance, he said. American Airlines was not immediately available to elaborate on the technical snag on Tuesday. The airline, along with its wholly owned regional carriers in the U.S., has canceled over 23,000 flights, or about 1.3% of their scheduled flights this year, according to FlightAware data. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record 40 million passengers over the holidays.Jefferson keeps seeing double as Vikings aim to stay focused on overall offensive production

I tried the cheapest prosecco from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and Asda - there's a clear winnerI tried the cheapest prosecco from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and Asda - there's a clear winnerEagles try to clinch NFC East title with Hurts' head injury looming largesuper lucky cat 。

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will not play Sunday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the lingering discomfort is a concern. Purdy sat out Friday after he participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers, then retreated indoors for what Shanahan said was a treatment session. Brandon Allen, 32, will start in Purdy's place, and the 49ers are also without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique). Shanahan said players believe in Allen, even if he's an unknown. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said they are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy. Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. Shanahan said Allen's confidence grew throughout the week and he doesn't anticipate a major change in how he calls the offense. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) also missed practice for the third consecutive day. Without disclosing the nature of the ailment to Purdy's throwing shoulder, general manager John Lynch confirmed Friday an MRI exam took place to determine the severity of any injury. Allen worked with the first team most of Thursday and Friday with Joshua Dobbs also taking snaps. Lynch described Purdy's status for the 49ers (5-5) this week as "tenuous." "Hopefully, he makes progress, and we can have a shot at this weekend, but we'll see," Lynch said in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. "I think it's tenuous." When Purdy was on the field this week, he primarily worked on the side in position-specific drills with QB coach Brian Griese. Williams played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable but exited the stadium with an exaggerated limp on Sunday. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level MediaYear-end: Why is it a trigger for job moves?AFASA: A milestone in cybersecurity for Philippine banking

Global Drone Command Vehicle Market to Witness Significant Growth Amidst Increased Military and Surveillance Applications | Valuates ReportsONR issued the notice after an explosive component was unintentionally damaged by workers assembling a unit for testing purposes in August this year. The damage was caused when workers failed to follow appropriate procedures when manually handling the component. The type of activities undertaken in the Explosive Technology Centre, where the incident occurred, could not result in any radiological risk. There was no risk to the public or the environment from this incident. Experiments and tests are routinely undertaken at the site to provide confidence in the safety and performance of components. ONR’s investigation, which was supported by the Health and Safety Executive, found that AWE had failed to effectively plan, organise and control the procedure, which resulted in employees being subjected to additional health and safety risks. AWE has been contacted for comment.After playoff chances slip away, Miami and Iowa State looking to regroup at Pop-Tarts Bowl

Risk adjusted net present value: What is the current valuation of AstraZeneca’s AZD-6234?Science and Technology Daily: Promoting AI Governance Jointly

I never knew of actors Anthony Jennings and Maris Racal until social media revealed their tale of love, hate, betrayal, and revenge. The sword of disgrace have fallen on these on-screen lovers after Jennings’ ex-girlfriend (Jam Villanueva) publicly exposed the love team’s private phone conversations and photos via the (in)famous interactive technologies among virtual communities and networks. The re-posting of Villanueva’s IG content by netizens and “Maritesses” apparently pressed the wounds even further. Word has it that endorsements for the actors started to melt away, as the actress tearfully explained her side on television. The scorned ex-girlfriend was likewise in tears, ostensibly. Perhaps equally as viral as the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, the love triangle was a palpable feast for netizens and rumormongers. And there is no way of controlling, much less influencing the opinions and judgment of people from all walks of life on this banquet of a scandal. I, too, have slowly formed a humble estimation on the topic as it was even discussed or debated, with levity of course, during a lunch meeting after a much more important Board meeting! After all, disdain for any alleged cheater flows endlessly like a waterfall. As empathy poured for the spurned ex-girlfriend, a few observers wrote that she should have first consulted a lawyer before taking out the dirty laundry in public. One privacy advocate said that the unauthorized posting of private chats online can lead to criminal charges, meriting imprisonment, fines and damages under Republic Act 10173 or Data Privacy Act of 2012. Another privacy law practitioner, however, said that such personal information may not fall within the ambit of the proscription against the unauthorized disclosure since information between lovers are not covered. Either way, the sharing of information was clearly made without the consent of the data subjects—Jennings and Racal—and must have been done out of sheer anger and pain! “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” was clearly exemplified in this relationship. To evidently exact revenge against her erstwhile disloyal boyfriend and the alleged usurper/other woman, Villanueva threw caution to the wind. Choosing between the shame, pain, and anger and the hammer of legal procedure, Villanueva chose the former. Their story is not the first news of betrayal since, not too long ago, a prosecutor was likewise embroiled in a scandal unmasked by no less than his wife. Shared online, the scandalous video practically made everyone fixed their condemnatory eyes on and demonstrated their pejorative mouths against the cheating husband-prosecutor. His career took a downward turn; he was out of work for months on end. A few decades ago, the same betrayal and shame scenario exemplified the lives of Dr. Hayden Kho, Dr. Vicky Belo and actresses Maricar Reyes and Katrina Halili. The duplicitous Kho’s intimate videos, which went viral even before the popularity of social media, shocked the senses of those who saw them. And so, it seems so effortless for some of us to assess, criticize or condemn cheaters and victims alike. The judgmental-lawyer-in-courtroom-mode in me thinks that part of Racal’s televised narrative of her side in the story was just an act, in a vain attempt at salvaging her career and endorsements. As can be gleaned from a portion of her text messages with Jennings (“let’s not force the issue. Right timing will come”), she had to know all along that Jennings was still in a relationship with another. The same sentiment can be had of Maricar Reyes and Katrina Halili who had to be aware at that time that Hayden Kho was romantically affiliated with Vicky Belo. The gracious Christian in me, however, says that we should give all parties, whether offenders or the offended, a chance to learn from lessons from this tragic experience. One of them has become a much better person, as Reyes gradually transformed into a very strong and inspiring daughter of God and even courageously published a book about her ordeal. Jennings and the prosecutor have the opportunity to become better persons following the lead of the new Hayden Kho, whose faith in his Abba Father recalibrated him to become a Christian, a doting husband and a responsible father. The Racal-Jennings-Villanueva scandalous story of shame and betrayal continues to unfold. If I were to be asked for advice by any of these involved parties, not legal but practical, I would encourage them to turn to our Almighty God. For all the shame and betrayal, surrender to Him! Such an event brings to mind the beautiful biblical story of the adulterous woman as can be read in John 8 of the Great Book! This adulterous woman, caught in the act, was brought by the scribes and Pharisees to Jesus. They implored the Law of Moses, which commanded them to stone such a sinful woman. Jesus’ reaction was to write on the ground with his finger (indicating that He knew the law as it is Him who wrote it), and to address the crowd by stating “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” ( verse 7 ). Upon hearing this, those who were present walked away, one by one, until no one was left (verse 9) except Jesus. Then Jesus asked the woman if any man condemned her, to which the woman replied none ( verses 10, 11 ). Neither did Jesus condemn her. Instead, he commanded her to “Go and sin no more” ( verse 11 ). The lesson in the episodes of Racal-Jennings-Villanueva, the unfaithful prosecutor, and the Kho viral shameful videos is summarized in God’s Word of repentance: “Go and sin no more.” The absence of judgment and condemnation came first (“Go”), before the instruction (“do not sin anymore”). Given modern technology and the growing impact of social media, it is readily effortless for any of us to criticize or condemn a neighbor. We judge them as if we know the pain of the journey of the cheaters, the disloyal, the liars, and the aggressors. We judge them as if we are “cleaner” than they are. We tend to cast the first stone against them when our Heavenly Father has encouraged us to go beyond the ministry of condemnation. As we ought to have learned from the narrative of the adulterous woman and Jesus, we should always take a step back and refuse to pass judgment, whenever “sinners” are out in the open, exposed and even ridiculed. Believers should instead pray for them as we struggle against the temptations of this world. As true Christian followers, we should never be quick to judge when we encounter stories of infidelity, betrayal, and ruined relationships, in particular, or of any scandal and anomaly, in general. Even though the parties involved should be abhorred because of their conduct, believers are aware not to cast the first stone. Were it not for God’s grace, and His beloved Son’s sacrifice, we have but fallen short and are sinners in anybody’s eyes. Society has made us judges and juries; may the Spirit within us remind us to just walk away and leave the stones right where they are. A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission. For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com. Siegfred has a diversified set of education and experiences which has made him a game changer and a servant leader in organizations such as the Philippine Army, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, a U.S. based software development company called Infogix Inc, University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. His professional degrees came from the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. Now a corporate executive for a major airline, Siegfred is a former soldier and a lawyer by profession, a teacher and and inspirational speaker by passion, and a book author and a writer with a mission.

Furious Cucurella changes cleats after slipping twice to concede early goals, then helps Chelsea winVikings defense has had a big boost this season from the indefatigable Jonathan Greenard

76ers' star Paul George sidelined the next 2 games with bone bruise in left kneeAP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:36 p.m. EST

Police Trust Fund inaugurates construction of police station in Kogi communityCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates had 29 points and five steals to help Missouri beat Hunter Dickinson and No. 1 Kansas 76-67 on Sunday. Mark Mitchell scored 17 points in Missouri’s first win over Kansas since a 74-71 victory on Feb. 4, 2012. Anthony Robinson II had 11 points and five steals for the Tigers (8-1), and Josh Gray grabbed a team-leading 10 rebounds. Dickinson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers. The Jayhawks (7-2) have lost two straight on the road after falling 76-63 against Creighton on Wednesday night. Missouri opened a 57-33 lead with 14:15 remaining on a jump shot from Tony Perkins. But the Jayhawks outscored the Tigers 30-8 over the next 11:55. Bates scored 18 to help Missouri to a 39-25 lead at the break. The Tigers then opened the second half with a 16-6 run. NO. 2 AUBURN 98, RICHMOND 54 AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford each scored 15 points as No. 2 Auburn beats Richmond. Bouncing back nicely after a loss at Duke , Auburn (8-1) had six players score in double figures. Chad Baker-Mazara had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Denver Jones made three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. Johni Broome had 11 points, six assists and two blocks for the Tigers. Jahki Howard scored a career-high 13 points. Richmond (4-5) was led by Mikkel Tyne’s 16 points. Dusan Neskovic scored 12, and DeLonnie Hunt added 10 points. NO. 8 PURDUE 83, MARYLAND 78 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith had 24 points and 10 assists, and No. 8 Purdue held off Maryland for a win. Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 21 points for the Boilermakers (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who bounced back after a loss to Penn State on Thursday. Camden Heide added 15 points and Fletcher Loyer finished with 12. Derik Queen led the Terrapins (8-2, 1-1) with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18 points and Selton Miguel and Rodney Rice each had 13. Julian Reese fouled out with five points and seven rebounds. Purdue used an 8-0 run to take a 77-67 lead with 2:00 left. Smith sparked the run with a 3-pointer. Heide made three late foul shots to help close it out. The Terrapins led 36-31 at halftime. Both teams made 13 of 35 shots in the first half, but the Terrapins had three more 3-pointers NO. 14 CINCINNATI 84, HOWARD 67 CINCINNATI (AP) — Simas Lukosius scored 18 points, Aziz Bandaogo added 17 and Dillon Mitchell 14 to lead No. 14 Cincinnati to a victory over Howard. Cincinnati (7-1) led by four points after one half and came out firing in the second, hitting three straight baskets to extend its lead to 10 points. The Bearcats outscored Howard Bison (3-6) 48-35 in the second half to seal the win and rebound from Tuesday’s eight-point loss to Villanova. Blake Harper had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Marcus Dockery added 14 points for Howard. NO. 22 TEXAS A&M 72, TEXAS TECH 67 FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Wade Taylor IV scored 19 points, Zhuric Phelps hit a go-ahead 3-pointer during an 11-0 run and finished with 12 points, and 22nd-ranked Texas A&M beat Texas Tech in the first meeting of the former conference rivals since 2012. Phelps’ 3 with 7 1/2 minutes left made it 54-52 and put the Aggies (8-2) ahead to stay. His step-back jumper after hard contact with Tech’s Kevin Overton capped the game-turning spurt. Jace Carter scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half as Texas A&M won its fourth straight game. Chance McMillian had 23 points with five 3s for Tech (7-2). Overton scored 14 of his 17 points before halftime, when he hit four 3s.

Brighton frustrated in goalless draw with BrentfordSimon Zebo said Leinster's victory over Munster at Thomond Park was "difficult to watch" at times. "Munster were just too inaccurate around the line-out, around set-piece," the former Munster back told Premier Sports. "When we got into the Leinster half, just not good enough. Too many errors and, just looked unorganised at times, which is disappointing. "To be fair, there's a lot of crucial players that Munster were missing too. Craig Casey, Peter O'Mahony, Taakhir Abrahams, Alex Nankivell, and Jack Crowley, of course. "Physicality was very telling watching the game here. One instance, where Luke McGrath scored his try, just piercing through the middle. It's just way too easy. "Ross Byrne was carrying the ball there at one stage and carried through the two centres that we had on the field. He burst through the tackle of the two guys and got an offload away. That's just never a good look. He's a good player as well, don't get me wrong, but ball-carrying isn't his strong point. "Lots to work on from Munster. Disappointing to concede nearly 30 points at home to your biggest rivals." Former Ireland international Stephen Ferris added that Munster looked they lacked a plan to counteract Leinster's strengths. "I said before the game that it felt like Munster had to have a plan, something that negated the line speed of Leinster, to get them in the right areas, whether that be the cross-field kicks by Billy Burns, whether it be punching holes up the guts, mauling," said Ferris. "They needed to have some sort of plan, but it looked like they didn't have any plan. Nothing really clicked for them whatsoever. The line-out in the first half, it sucks so much life out of you when you can't just get going at all on set-piece. "They'll be bitterly disappointed. It just felt like they didn't really fire a shot. It's definitely not lack of planning. During the week, they will have come up with a certain plan to get the players to execute. That just didn't happen for whatever reasons. The quality of Leinster showed. They were knocking them back in defence time and time again. They turned them over numerous times. They got after their line-outs. "Leinster looked a different class when it came to physicality and size. They just looked like they had another gear." Though, it was a dry night in Limerick, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen thought the conditions were difficult. "We started the game pretty well," said Cullen. "Munster are in it. They are stretching us. We scrambled well defensively. To keep them scoreless in the first half was really pleasing. We had a couple of big D sets where we lose Tommy O'Brien to the bin, but we managed that period quite well where we end up playing the other end of the field. "We got a couple of good tries. Luke (McGrath) and then Sam (Prendergast). We managed that period well, which was pleasing. "At the start of second half, Munster came out all guns blazing. A couple of penalties where we end up close to our try line again for a period eventually to get over. After that, I thought the bench guys came on and just steadied the ship and were in for a couple of good tries. "The conditions, even though it's dry out there, but the pitch, you can see it's quite dewy. The pitch is churning up a little bit. It wasn't that easy to play for either team. It was a good old-fashioned derby game, wasn't it? I'm pleased with how our guys managed the conditions on the day." Ian Costello, Munster's interim head coach, was asked to reflect on the loss afterwards, and whether the hefty 21-point loss might have been unkind on his side given the actual run of play. "I was having a think about that. Two things. One, in terms of the effort and some of the aspects of our performance were really strong. It's disappointing that the game got away on us but when you play a side like Leinster, of that quality, that's what happens if you're inaccurate in any areas. "They had five chances five metres out from the line, they took four. We had four quick taps and a five-metre metre lineout and converted one. And our scrum was under pressure as well. If you're off in any area against Leinster, unfortunately you can be on the end of a scoreline like that. "But it's pretty frustrating based on some of the positive elements of our performance, unfortunately."Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his agents told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Sunday. The redshirt freshman will explore his transfer options following his first season as Tulane's starter, according to his agents, Noah Reisenfeld and Adie von Gontard of Young Money APAA Sports. Mensah has three more seasons of eligibility. After an impressive debut season with the Green Wave, Mensah is expected to be one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the portal when the winter transfer window officially opens Monday. Editor's Picks College football bowl games, expanded playoff dates and times 2h ESPN College Football Playoff 2024: First round first look 3h ESPN The 6-foot-3, 200-pound passer threw for 2,723 yards and 23 total touchdowns with six interceptions while leading Tulane to a nine-win season and a trip the American Athletic Conference championship game in coach Jon Sumrall's first season. Mensah led all AAC passers in yards per attempt (9.5) and completion percentage (65.9%). Tulane (9-4, 7-1) lost 35-14 to No. 24 Army in the AAC title game Friday and will face Florida in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 20. The former three-star recruit from San Luis Obispo, California, redshirted during his first season at Tulane and earned the starting job over Oregon transfer Ty Thompson and Kai Horton in preseason camp. After a 1-2 start, Mensah helped lead the Green Wave to an eight-game win streak and a climb to No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings, before closing with back-to-back losses to Memphis and Army. His 76.5 season QBR ranks fourth best among starting quarterbacks in the Group of 5.

junce The stock market has reached one of those moments when valuations and mechanics have reached dangerous levels. The last time this happened was in July, when implied correlations were trading at very low levels as realized volatility had melted. Join Reading The Markets Reading the Markets helps readers cut through all the noise, delivering daily video and written market commentaries to prepare you for upcoming events. We use a repeated and detailed process of watching the fundamental trends, technical charts, and options trading data. The process helps isolate and determine where a stock, sector, or market may be heading over various time frames. Michael Kramer is the founder of Mott Capital, and is a long-only investor who focuses on macro themes and studies trends and options activities to identify and assess entry and exit points for investments in his long-term focused thematic growth strategy. He is a former buy-side trader, analyst, and portfolio manager with 30 years of experience tracking market technicals, fundamentals, and options. Michael Kramer leads the investing group Reading the Markets, where he helps a devoted following of members to better understand what is driving trading and where the market is likely heading, both the short and long-term. Features of the investing group include: daily written commentary and videos analyzing the driving factors behind price action; general macro trend education to help members make well-informed decisions based on market conditions, interest rates, currency movements and how they all interact; chat for questions and community dialogue; and regular Zoom videos sessions to discuss current ideas and answer questions. The level of access RTM subscribers and the expertise of the source are unprecedented given that the subscription price is a fraction of similar technical coaching and mentoring services. Learn more. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. 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. Charts used with the permission of Bloomberg Finance L.P. This report contains independent commentary to be used for informational and educational purposes only. Michael Kramer is a member and investment adviser representative with Mott Capital Management. Mr. Kramer is not affiliated with this company and does not serve on the board of any related company that issued this stock. All opinions and analyses presented by Michael Kramer in this analysis or market report are solely Michael Kramer’s views. Readers should not treat any opinion, viewpoint, or prediction expressed by Michael Kramer as a specific solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or follow a particular strategy. Michael Kramer’s analyses are based upon information and independent research that he considers reliable, but neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. Michael Kramer is not under any obligation to update or correct any information presented in his analyses. Mr. Kramer’s statements, guidance, and opinions are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees any specific outcome or profit. You should be aware of the real risk of loss in following any strategy or investment commentary presented in this analysis. Strategies or investments discussed may fluctuate in price or value. Investments or strategies mentioned in this analysis may not be suitable for you. This material does not consider your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs and is not intended as a recommendation appropriate for you. You must make an independent decision regarding investments or strategies in this analysis. Upon request, the advisor will provide a list of all recommendations made during the past twelve months. Before acting on information in this analysis, you should consider whether it is suitable for your circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser to determine the suitability of any investment. 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.76ers' star Paul George sidelined the next 2 games with bone bruise in left kneeNEW DELHI: Japanese auto major Nissan's plans to turn around its Indian operations remain intact, and it is looking to increase headcount in the country despite the turbulence it is facing globally, according to a senior company official. The company, which has increased headcount at its Chennai plant by 600 to add a third shift, does not foresee steps to cut 9,000 jobs and 20 per cent production globally having an impact on India as long as it remains competitive in the market, Nissan India Operations President Frank Torres told PTI. "Nissan is betting big on India...and the plans (for India) remain intact despite this global turbulence," he said. Torres was responding to a query on whether the announcement for global job and production cuts will have an impact on Nissan's India operations. "Contrary to the perception, in India, we are strengthening our members, growing our production, and we just included almost 600 new employments in our manufacturing plant in Chennai," Torres said. "This move is to help the production shifts. We are expanding production very soon with two new models...this is despite the global action, which involves restructuring. We don't forecast that the impact will be in India because our plans remain untouched. Of course, the key point for us is to keep being competitive. Because, in the end, this is what is considered most important inside Nissan." Earlier in July this year, Nissan India announced that it is looking to introduce five models over the next 30 months as it looks to turn around its operations in the fast-growing Indian car market. The company has set a target of tripling its domestic and export volumes to 1 lakh each per annum by the end of FY26. In November this year, Nissan announced that globally, it would cut 9,000 jobs and production by 20 per cent as part of a turnaround plan and cut costs by 400 billion yen (USD 2.6 billion). "There is no risk, or there is no impact for India as far as the plans for India are concerned, they will remain intact. We will keep on being competitive, right in terms of product, in terms of cost, in terms of everything, including our partners, suppliers and dealers," Torres noted. The third shift at the Chennai plant started some weeks ago, as the company targets full capacity utilisation of the manufacturing plant. "It means that we have grown one full new shift. And then also moving forward towards 2026, where we will need to put our manufacturing plant at full capacity with both lines at three shifts. As of today, we are modifying one of them for the new models," Torres added. If the company achieves its volume forecast with the new models by the end of 2026, he said, "This will put the plant utilisation at more than 80 per cent, which will require more headcount than today". "Increasing headcount is part of our commitment. We have committed to the Tamil Nadu government to grow our headcount next year based on the new investments, and we are well supported by the Tamil Nadu government." Moreover, he said, the Reault-Nissan alliance had committed to more than 2,000 employment creations not just in manufacturing, but also in other areas like R&D as part of their USD 600 million investment plan announced in 2023. Torres also said the company is now refurbishing one line to adapt to new technology, such as EVs, ahead of the planned launch of an electric SUV. "We are planning to grow our volumes both in domestic and export markets. Our target is to increase three-times our domestic and export volume by FY26 compared to FY23...Our plans remain intact, and our plans for the new models remain untouched," Torres asserted. When asked about sales growth, Torres said in the ongoing fiscal 2024-25, Nissan India is looking at over 45 per cent total sales growth at over 1.05 lakh units against 72,666 units sold in the previous fiscal on the back of its upgraded compact SUV Magnite. The company has expanded its export market to more than 65 countries from just 14 nations in 2023, with the introduction of the left-hand drive version of the Magnite, he added. The company is targeting to export over 74,200 units in 2024-25 against 42,597 in the previous fiscal. In the domestic market, Nissan India expects sales to grow by 4 per cent to 31,155 units in 2024-25 compared to 30,065 in the previous fiscal.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — On a damp Wednesday night with temperatures dipping into the 30s, fans in sparsely filled stands bundled up to watch Buffalo beat Eastern Michigan 37-30 on gray turf. The lopsided game was not particularly notable, but it was played on one of the nights the Mid-American Conference has made its own: A weeknight. “A lot of the general public thinks we play all of our games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not just some of them in November,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a telephone interview this week. “What it has done is help take what was a pretty darned good regional conference and has given it a national brand and made it a national conference.” When the conference has played football games on ESPN or ESPN2 over the last two seasons, the linear television audience has been 10 times larger than when conference schools meet on Saturdays and get lost in the shuffle when viewers have many more choices. The most-watched MAC game over the last two years was earlier this month on a Wednesday night when Northern Illinois won at Western Michigan and there were 441,600 viewers, a total that doesn’t include streaming that isn’t captured by Nielsen company. During the same span, the linear TV audience has been no larger than 46,100 to watch two MAC teams play on Saturdays. “Having the whole nation watching on Tuesday and Wednesday night is a huge deal for the MAC,” Eastern Michigan tight end Jere Getzinger said. “Everybody wants to watch football so if you put it on TV on a Tuesday or Wednesday, people are going to watch.” ESPN has carried midweek MAC football games since the start of the century. ESPN and the conference signed a 13-year extension a decade ago that extends their relationship through at least the 2026-27 season. The conference has made the most of the opportunities, using MACtion as a tag on social media for more than a decade and it has become a catchy marketing term for the Group of Five football programs that usually operate under the radar in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and New York. Attendance does tend to go down with weeknight games, keeping some students out of stadiums because they have class or homework and leading to adults staying away home because they have to work the next morning. “The tradeoff is the national exposure,” Buffalo coach Pete Lembo said. “You know November nights midweek the average fan is going to park on the couch, have a bowl of chips and salsa out in front, and watch the game from there." When the Bulls beat Ball State 51-48 in an overtime thriller on a Tuesday night earlier this month, the announced attendance was 12,708 and that appeared to be generous. There were many empty seats after halftime. “You watch the games on TV, the stadiums all look like this,” Buffalo fan Jeff Wojcicki said. “They are not packed, but it’s the only game on, and you know where to find it.” Sleep and practice schedules take a hit as well, creating another wave of challenges for students to attend class and coaches to prepare without the usual rhythm of preparing all week to play on Saturday. “Last week when we played at Ohio in Athens, we had a 4-four bus ride home and got home at about 3:30 a.m.,” Eastern Michigan center Broderick Roman said. “We still had to go to class and that was tough, but it's part of what you commit to as an athlete.” That happens a lot in November when the MAC shifts its unique schedule. During the first two weeks of the month, the conference had 10 games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays exclusively. This week, there were five games on Tuesday and Wednesday while only one was left in the traditional Saturday slot with Ball State hosting Bowling Green. Next week, Toledo plays at Akron and Kent State visits Buffalo on Tuesday night before the MAC schedule wraps up with games next Friday and Saturday to determine which teams will meet in the conference title game on Dec. 7 in Detroit. In all, MAC teams will end up playing about 75% of their games on a Saturday and the rest on November weeknights. When the Eagles wrapped up practice earlier this week, two days before they played the Bulls, tight end Jere Getzinger provided some insight into the effects of the scheduling quirk. “It's Monday, but for us it's like a Thursday,” he said. Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler said he frankly has a hard time remembering what day it is when the schedule shift hits in November. “The entire week gets turned upside down,” Loeffler said. “It’s wild, but it’s great for the league because there’s two days a week this time of year that people around the country will watch MAC games.” AP freelance writer Jonah Bronstein contributed to this report. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballASML Deadline: ASML Investors with Losses in Excess of $100K Have Opportunity to Lead ASML Holding N.V. Securities Fraud Lawsuit

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said there must be “a foreign policy for Viksit Bharat” as he underlined that changes in foreign policy are needed amid a changing landscape. In his address at the launch of ‘India’s World’ magazine here, he also said “when we speak about changing foreign policy, if there is talk of a post-Nehruvian construct, it should not be treated as a political attack”. Foreign policy expert C Raja Mohan chairs the editorial board of the magazine. The external affairs minister said there are “four big factors” which should cause people in India to actually ask themselves as to “what are the changes which are necessary in a foreign policy”. “One, and I happened, by coincidence, to speak about it yesterday, for many, many years, we had what someone else very pithily summed up as the ‘Nehru development model’. That was book released yesterday by Dr Arvind Panagariya,” he said. A ‘Nehru development model’, inevitably produced a ‘Nehru foreign policy’ and “we seek to correct that abroad”, just as efforts being made to “reform” the consequences of the model at home, Jaishankar said on Saturday, in his virtual address at the launch of the book ‘The Nehru Development Model’. In his address at the Sunday’s event, he reiterated that a ‘Nehru development model’ produced a ‘Nehru foreign policy’. “I mean, it was obvious. And, it wasn’t just what was happening in our country, there was an international landscape in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s which was bipolar. Then there was a unipolar landscape. And, both those landscapes have also changed,” the EAM said. On top of it, in the last two decades or so, there has been a “very intense globalisation”, a strong interdependence with countries. “In a way the relationship, the behaviour of states towards each other have changed,” he said. Finally, if one looks at technology, technology on foreign policy, technology on state capability, “technology on our daily existence, that too has changed”, he added. “So, if the domestic model has changed, if the landscape has changed, if the behavioural patterns of states have changed, and if the tools of foreign policies have changed, how can foreign policy remain the same,” he argued. “So, my point to you today is when we speak about changing foreign policy, if there is talk of a post-Nehruvian construct, it should not be treated as a political attack. I mean, it didn’t require Narendra Modi to do it, Narasimha Rao started it,” Jaishankar said. “So, I think, we need to be grounded, we need to be realistic, we need to be practical in this country, and the foreign policy discourse within track 2, and between track 2 and track 1 will certainly improve, if we move in that direction,” the EAM said. In his address, he also asserted that a vision for a developed India needs a foreign policy for ‘Viksit Bharat’. “If today our aspiration at home is to become a Viksit Bharat, surely there must be a foreign policy for Viksit Bharat. And, that foreign policy in a way, I would say, we had about a decade ago suggested the need for India to start thinking about moving towards a leading power. How to be more ambitious, how to plan ahead,” the EAM said. Now, some of it is also about positioning, a country will have in a sense, if it had the most friends, the least problems. The best relationships, the “minimal baggage”, and in that positioning the concept of ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ came up, he added. The vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to build India as a developed nation by 2047 when it will complete 100 years as an independent nation. In his address, the external affairs minister also touched upon the aspects of various tracks of diplomacy and the importance of their inter-dynamics. “If we look back the last 25 years, and I grant you, I have a vested interest in that statement, but if you look back the last 25 years in this country, track 1 has been consistently ahead of track 2, when it comes to diplomacy, foreign policy and keeping up with the world,” he said. “In fact, if you look at many of the big ideas, much of the advocacy of change, I would say, really it is interesting that track 1 has outpaced track 2. Because, I do think that this dynamic of track 1, track 2, government, think-tank, official, academic, need changes in our country,” the EAM added. Track 1 diplomacy refers to official, government to government diplomacy while track 2 refers to unofficial contact and interaction in a diplomacy. Jaishankar said “our public space discourse should not be theological, it should not be polemical, it should not come as a defence of the past versus a compulsion to move beyond the past”. “So, to me a platform that signifies realism, which is contemporary, ambitious, I think it makes such a platform relevant,” he added. The EAM said if things are going to change then that begs a different question, “do we defend, manage, advance, or do we do all of the same”. “How ambitious we should be, what is it that we are aiming for. And, what should be the timing for what we should do,” he asked. And, if “we do raise our hedge to what degree and on what issues. I think that’s also a very important concern,” the minister added. “Just like the economic debates and the economic model of this country became more open, I think foreign policy, foreign policy thinking of this country has to keep pace with what is happening in this country, and needs to be more open. And, for that it’s important to have an integrated outlook,” the EAM asserted.White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaignGovt issues SCO vs Angkas on exceeding rider ceilingNone

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On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nro

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It’s a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that most Americans know little about, yet gives corporations the license to add potentially harmful ingredients to foods without regulatory oversight or public notice. For decades, the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe,” , designation has allowed food makers to decide for themselves whether certain novel ingredients are safe or not — even without providing evidence to agency scientists. the system has allowed companies to , including suspected carcinogens, to such products as cereals, baked goods, ice cream, potato chips and chewing gum. Now, President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of to lead the Department of Health and Human Service promises to elevate the issue. Although Kennedy’s penchant for amplifying medical conspiracies and his anti-vaccination activism , his vow to crack down on chemical additives in food has resonated with consumer health advocates. The problem, critics say, is that a GRAS determination is supposed to follow a scientific assessment, ideally one conducted by independent experts. Under the law, however, it is entirely optional for companies to share their assessments with FDA reviewers. That means the FDA and American consumers are in the dark about hundreds of compounds in processed foods. “FDA cannot ensure the safety of our food supply if it does not know what is in our food,” said , principal scientist for food additives and supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. When the agency does learn about a new compound, it evaluates the company’s safety report to see whether it agrees. If FDA scientists see problems and request additional information, the company doesn’t have to provide it. It can simply withdraw its GRAS notice and use the ingredient anyway. , a former prosecutor and current state legislator in Pennsylvania, said she doesn’t understand why the FDA treats food additives like criminal defendants — “innocent until proven guilty, safe until proven otherwise.” “Right now we’re relying on the companies that are going to profit off selling these substances to do the research for us,” said Mihalek, a Republican who has introduced a bill to in her state. “It just blows my mind.” FDA officials acknowledge the limits of the GRAS system but say they don’t have the authority to change it. “Congress sets GRAS as part of the law,” said , director of the FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety. “It is our responsibility to administer the law. We do not in fact have the authority to make the laws.” Related Articles Concern about the safety and purity of food prompted Congress to pass the in 1906, just months after Upton Sinclair brought the meatpacking industry’s unsanitary practices to light in his book The new law forbade the manufacture and sale of foods that were “adulterated or misbranded or poisonous.” The FDA’s regulatory powers expanded in 1938 with the passage of the , and a 1958 amendment divided food ingredients into two categories: additives that must be assessed for safety, and substances that could go straight into foods because they are “generally recognized as safe.” Unfortunately, the legal distinction between the two kinds of ingredients is “very vague,” said , a public health lawyer at New York University’s School of Global Public Health. The types of ingredients that were considered GRAS in 1958 included items that were already in wide use, such as salt, vanilla extract, baking powder and vinegar. The FDA established a list of GRAS substances and added new items if they passed a safety review. Individuals from outside the agency also could ask to have a particular substance studied for inclusion on the official GRAS list. But the process was time-consuming, and petitions from industry could take to evaluate. As part of the Clinton-era initiative to , the FDA embraced designed to make it more enticing for companies to keep the agency in the loop about their GRAS decisions. Now the FDA pledges to respond to GRAS notices . The notification process is also low-risk for food companies. If everything looks good, the FDA says it has “no questions” about the compound, effectively endorsing the GRAS assessment. This happens about 80% of the time, according to researchers and Maricel Maffini, who analyzed . If things aren’t so clear, the agency may say it needs more information before it can weigh in. And if a company decides not to provide that information, it can back out of the process and the FDA will say it ended its evaluation at the filer’s request. Such was the case with an ingredient in . Not just another gourmet candy bar, the dark chocolate with lavender and blueberry flavors is infused with the hormone , the amino acid , a blend of soothing botanicals and something called , an artificial version of that calms the brain. PharmaGABA is made by of Kyoto, Japan. The company touts its product as having “US-FDA’s self-affirmed GRAS approval” even though the FDA twice raised serious concerns about its safety and has never indicated to the public that its misgivings were addressed. Nothing about this violates the law. Neltner, a chemical engineer and attorney, and Maffini, a biochemist and consultant, dug into the FDA’s files on PharmaGABA to see why regulators were concerned about it. In its filed in 2008, Pharma Foods said it hired a to determine whether PharmaGABA should qualify for GRAS status when used in candy, chewing gum, beverages and other products. The consulting firm produced a report about the product and tapped three university professors with expertise in pharmacology, toxicology and food science to weigh in. The trio’s determination that the product was “safe and suitable and would be GRAS” was unanimous, . Yet after reviewing all 155 pages of the PharmaGABA notice, FDA scientists raised concerns about the product’s purity, its risk for causing low blood pressure and electrolyte imbalances, and the lack of data on how PharmaGABA is metabolized, among other problems. Pharma Foods withdrew its notice, and the FDA . The company with a for using PharmaGABA in yogurts and cheese, cereals and snack bars, candy and gum, and an array of beverages including sports drinks and flavored milks. The same consulting firm assembled a scientific panel that said consuming PharmaGABA in expected quantities was “reasonably expected to be safe.” As before, FDA reviewers had concerns. They said the new filing didn’t back the company’s claims that the product would be absorbed into the bloodstream at low levels and that it wouldn’t cross the blood-brain barrier. The reviewers were particularly concerned with the compound’s potential to harm pregnant women and children, as well as its effect on the pituitary gland. Pharma Foods withdrew its notice so it could “conduct further studies,” and the FDA of the product. Maffini said it wasn’t unusual for agency scientists to find fault with GRAS decisions that passed muster with hired consultants. Giving their clients favorable reviews increases their chances of being hired again, she said. Nine years later, Pharma Foods has yet to share additional results with the FDA. But PharmaGABA legally remains in based on Pharma Foods’ determination that the compound should be generally recognized as safe. Pharma Foods International and , which makes Sleepy Chocolate, did not respond to requests to discuss PharmaGABA’s safety. Maffini said she was frustrated that the FDA scientists who examined PharmaGABA couldn’t post a memo to warn the public about their concerns. (She and Neltner obtained the GRAS documents by filing a .) “They ask questions,” Maffini said of the agency scientists, “but then there’s really nothing they can do.” For every ingredient like PharmaGABA that is disclosed to the FDA, another probably makes its way to the market without any regulatory review. By definition, there’s no way to know for sure how many new additives are granted GRAS status in secret. To , researchers scoured websites and trade journals to find every corporate announcement of a new GRAS product during an eight-week period. Ten of those products weren’t on the FDA’s GRAS notice list. If those eight weeks were typical, at least 65 new substances are being introduced into the food supply every year without any vetting by the agency. That’s on a par with the 60 to 70 GRAS notices that Muldoon Jacobs said the FDA evaluates each year. The situation is something of a catch-22, Pomeranz said: Since GRAS products are presumed to be safe, they aren’t subject to regulatory review. But since they’re not regulated, how can the public be assured that they’re safe? And that’s only part of the problem, she said. When companies use novel ingredients, they can list them on food labels using generic terms like “flavors” or “colors.” That makes it all but impossible for consumers to know that something new has been added to their food, she said. This helps explain how an ingredient called was able to who consumed French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, a meat replacement product sold by Daily Harvest in 2022. Customers suffered severe abdominal pain, fever, chills and acute liver failure, and , according to the FDA. The company and for the illnesses. Tara flour is a high-protein substance made from the seeds of found in South America. There is no GRAS notice for the ingredient in the FDA’s database. Tests conducted after the outbreak found that in the flour caused liver damage in mice. In May, nearly two years after the recall, the FDA concluded that tara flour to qualify for GRAS status. That makes it an unapproved food additive and is considered unsafe. The agency added that it’s not aware of any products made in the U.S. that contain tara flour, nor has it identified any imported products that contain the ingredient. The case shows why the FDA’s regulatory approach needs to change, said , regulatory counsel for food chemical safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Self-declaring that your chemical is safe should not be the law of the land,” Jose said. “I highly doubt that’s what Congress meant” when it created the GRAS designation in 1958, he said. Bills introduced would put an end to the practice of allowing companies to make GRAS determinations in secret. The legislation would require companies to share their scientific reviews and give the FDA and the public at least 90 days to review — and potentially challenge — them before they take effect, among other provisions. But both bills have a ways to go in order to pass before the congressional term ends in January. Jose has another idea for reducing the secrecy surrounding novel food ingredients: Require companies using self-declared GRAS ingredients to submit the safety data to the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets in Albany as a condition for selling their products in the Empire State. Jose laid out the plan in that is under consideration in the New York state Legislature. If it passes, state regulators would not be required to review the safety data, but at least it would become publicly available, he said. “The goal is that you’d have a database so if something like tara flour happens, the FDA can look there and be able to respond more quickly,” Jose said. Companies could avoid the notification requirement by keeping their products out of New York stores, but that would be a tip-off to watchdog groups like his, Jose said. “If we find them selling everywhere except New York, we’ll know there might be something wrong with this chemical,” he said. , the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, the “growing public demand for the FDA to do more to ensure the safety of chemicals currently in the U.S. food supply.” and other states have sought to fill the void by regulating or banning within their borders. But “a strong national food-safety system is not built state-by-state,” Jones said. “The FDA must lead the way.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.‘All sorts of trouble’: Why ‘it’s all down’ to Alex Carey amid legend’s big warning — LIVE

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Canada has started preparing for potential retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods following President-elect Donald Trump 's recent threats to impose sweeping duties on Canadian imports. A senior Canadian government official told AP News Wednesday that discussions are underway to target certain U.S. items if Trump follows through on his proposed 25% tariff, although no final decision has been made. This move comes as Trump renews his hardline stance on trade, calling for punitive tariffs to address what he described as the flow of drugs and migrants across both the northern and southern borders. Canada has faced a similar situation in the past, such as in 2018 when it imposed billions of dollars in retaliatory duties on U.S. goods after the Trump administration hiked tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canadian Dollar Poised For Further Declines Wall Street analysts expect additional downside in the Canadian dollar – as tracked by the Invesco CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust FXC – if the tariff threats materialize. Robert Kavcic , senior economist at BMO Economics, highlighted Canada's vulnerability as a “small, open economy” heavily reliant on U.S. trade. “The U.S. market accounts for roughly 75% of Canadian goods exports, which in total comprise about 25% of Canadian GDP,” Kavcic wrote in a note. "In general, we'd expect the Canadian dollar to see the biggest and most immediate market impact, extending the weakness seen in recent months. In this event, we see room for further depreciation from recent levels above 1.41 against the dollar." Shaun Osborne , chief forex strategist at Scotiabank, also expressed skepticism about Canada's ability to quickly address the incoming administration’s concerns. Osborne explained that Trump's newly appointed “border czar,” Tom Homan , has already labeled the northern border as “an extreme national security issue,” which could complicate negotiations. “More CAD losses seem inevitable unless the Canadian government can muster a response that satisfies the incoming administration quickly, however. That may not be easy,” Osborne warned. He continued, “The risk of 25% tariffs remains just that at the moment, but the longer the threat lingers and the closer we get to the inauguration, the weaker the CAD may trade." According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. imports from Canada reached $481 billion in 2023, while Canadian imports of U.S. goods amounted to $354 billion during the same period. In terms of products, Canada's top export to the United States was crude oil and other fuels, totaling approximately $120 billion, followed by vehicles at $58 billion. Read Next: US–Mexico Trade Tensions Escalate As Mexican Peso Hits August 2022 Lows: Why Is Auto Industry Most At Risk? Photo via Shutterstock. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Survey reveals the disturbing number of under-50s living with genital herpes READ MORE: America's STD explosion laid bare By CASSIDY MORRISON SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 23:51 GMT, 10 December 2024 | Updated: 23:52 GMT, 10 December 2024 e-mail 1 View comments More than 846million adults worldwide are currently living with genital herpes, according to the latest global estimates. Genital herpes is an exceedingly common and life-long sexually transmitted disease spread by two types of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Both types one and two can cause genital herpes. Type one, which can occur at a young age, typically causes oral herpes (manifested as cold sores), while HSV-2 is generally associated with sexual transmission and genital herpes. An international team of researchers sought to improve upon earlier methods to estimate the prevalence of both types of HSV worldwide in people under 50, starting with the World Health Organization ’s 2012 and 2016 estimates. More broadly, the research team determined that two-thirds of the global population – around 3.8 billion people – were living with any form of the more common HSV-1 in 2020. In 2020 alone, there were 122 million new HSV-1 infections in people from birth to 49 years old, including 16.8 million new genital infections. And among people 15 to 39 affected by sexually-transmitted HSV-2, researchers identified 26 million new infections in 2020, bringing the total number of people currently living with HSV-2 to 520 million. Many individuals with the condition struggle with thoughts like, "My life is ruined" or "No one will ever accept me." These feelings of shame can prevent them from seeking medical help. Around 20million Americans test positive for sexually transmitted infections every year, a startling statistic experts say is symptomatic of a more significant public health crisis, which has seen rates of some diseases such as syphilis reach historic highs. Between 50 and 80 percent of Americans get the occasional cold sore, while about 12 percent of Americans 14 to 49 years old have genital herpes. Read More More than half of Americans with STIs were infected by cheating partners, survey finds Genital herpes causes painful blisters and open sores at times on the vagina, penis, labia, or testicles, but it can also be asymptomatic. Additionally, the herpes simplex family of viruses can lay dormant in the body without causing noticeable problems. When the virus infects a person, it may travel up to a cluster of sensory nerves in the brain and remain dormant there for months or even years after the initial infection. But in times of stress, severe fatigue, or changes to the immune system, the virus can reactivate, multiply, and travel back to the skin through nerve fibers. These stressful times can result in new blisters in the same area as the initial infection. The rates of HSV-2 were particularly high among young adults in the Americans and Africa. The incidence of HSV-2 generally decreased with age across both regions, pointing to a higher risk of infection in younger people. In 2020, approximately 25.6 million new genital HSV-2 infections occurred globally among individuals aged 15 to 49 and 16.8 million new genital HSV-1 infections occurred globally in the same age group. A total of 122.2 million new HSV-1 infections (acquired orally or genitally) were estimated in people from birth to age 49, with the African region having the highest incidence. Researchers determined that the global prevalence of incurable genital herpes has been on the decline in recent years. Around 1 in 5 people under 50, or 846 million globally, are living with genital herpes, according to the latest estimates Both herpes simplex virus types one and two can cause genital herpes. Type one, which can occur at a young age, typically causes oral herpes (manifested as cold sores), while HSV-2 is generally associated with sexual transmission and genital herpes By 2020, around 520 million people 15 to 49 were living with HSV-2 infections and around 376 million people globally were living with genital HSV-1 infections. Researchers said: ‘In addition to the painful genital sores, genital herpes is associated with a range of social and psychological adverse outcomes, including effects on sexual relations, quality of life, and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.’ Many people with the condition wrestle with thoughts of, ‘my life is over,’ and ‘no one will ever accept me.’ Those feelings of shame may block people for seeking out medical care. Your browser does not support iframes. A herpes diagnosis may also influence a woman’s decision to have children, as there is a risk that the virus could be spread to the baby as it’s born, ‘a disabling disease in newborns with a high fatality rate’ if left untreated, according to the researchers. Genital herpes is also associated with a three-fold increased risk for HIV infection. Scientists believe that the painful lesions account for the higher risk in that they create an ideal environment for the HIV virus to replicate. People diagnosed with genital herpes are treated with prescription antiviral medications to make outbreaks shorter and less painful, but there is no cure. While the US in the midst of a protracted epidemic of STIs, researchers behind the latest estimates were cautiously optimistic about their findings, which suggested that the incidence of genital herpes is actually showing signs of decreasing. They said: 'HSV- 2 global prevalence was virtually equal in the 2016 and 2020 estimation rounds. ‘Considering the shifts in the underlying demography during this time (increase in global average age and the changing proportion of the global population in each region), HSV- 2 prevalence, adjusted for the demographic trends, appears to be slowly declining.’ Their results were published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections . They attributed the positive sign to 'less risky sexual behavior following the HIV epidemic, improved sexually transmitted infection (STI) awareness, increasing access to HIV/STI services,' and/or changes in how people form sexual relationships due to changes in economic and social factors. Share or comment on this article: Survey reveals the disturbing number of under-50s living with genital herpes e-mail Add commentLAS VEGAS — There are three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen of Red Bull is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can wrap up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing: "It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody," said Mercedes driver George Russell, a GPDA director. "It's a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director (with) just three races left. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information." The Andretti team is expected to receive F1 approval to join the grid, albeit without Michael Andretti, who has scaled back his role dramatically since the IndyCar season ended in September. Many drivers, particularly seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the sanctioning body "our members are adults" who don't need lectures and fines on foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent race control. There's been no response from Ben Sulayem, and won't be this weekend since he does not attend the LVGP. He will be at Qatar and the finale in Abu Dhabi next month. Hamilton doesn't think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic as the season comes to a close. But he noted that consistency from race control is all the drivers have asked for, while throwing his support behind Domenicali and the job Maffei has done in growing F1 since Liberty took over. "I really hope Stefano is not leaving because he's been so instrumental in changes and progress to this whole thing," Hamilton said. "And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things do come to an end, and whoever they put into place, I just hope they are like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees." That's just what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race officiating this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico City, Russell said they had no prior warning Wittich was out. The race director is the referee each weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending, championship-altering finale at Abu Dhabi. Now the man in charge for the final three races is Rui Marques, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director. Las Vegas, which overcame multiple stumbling blocks in last year's debut before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a difficult place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three points more than Lando Norris of McLaren. "It's a bit weird with three races to go to do that," Verstappen said. "It doesn't matter if you're positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It's still a bit weird having to now then deal with a different race director." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari wondered why the move was made with only three races to go. "To do it so late in the season, at such a crucial moment of the season, it could have probably been managed in a better way," he said. The drivers have consistently asked for clearer guidelines in the officiating of races, specifically regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen's FIA. "We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue that is happening," Russell said. "And I think the departure of Niels is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations." The GDPA statement made clear the drivers do not think their voice is being heard. "If we feel we're being listened to, and some of the changes that we are requesting are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase," Russell said. "But I think there's a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It only seems to be going in the wrong direction." He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seems fractured. "Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution," he said. "You need to work together to improve the problem." Norris, who has battled Verstappen this year with mixed officiating rulings, said "obviously things are not running as smoothly as what we would want." Marques has his first driver meeting ahead of Thursday night's two practice sessions and then three weeks to prove to the competitors he is up for the job. Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama doesn't distract from the momentum F1 has built over the last five years. "I think Formula 1 is in a great moment right now and all these rumors, I think in every team, every job, there's job changes," he said. "It's not big drama. I'm a big fan of the people you mentioned, they've done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is thanks to these people. But it's just so emotional, especially the Stefano one. The only one that has a real effect is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Soccer-Real Madrid back to winning ways with 3-2 victory at Atalanta

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The military's tradition of tracking Santa Claus on his gravity-defying sweep across the globe will carry on this Christmas Eve, even if the U.S. government shuts down, officials said Friday. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online. “We fully expect for Santa to take flight on Dec. 24 and NORAD will track him," the U.S.-Canadian agency said in a statement. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats, such as last year's Chinese spy balloon. But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” The endeavor is supported by local and corporate sponsors, who also help shield the tradition from Washington dysfunction. Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer, told The Associated Press that there are "screams and giggles and laughter” when families call in, usually on speakerphone. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, "Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early." NORAD's annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics. Here's how it began and why the phones keep ringing. The origin story is Hollywood-esque It started with a child's accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy's mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80-foot (18-by-24-meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from "those who do not believe in Christmas.” Is the origin story humbug? Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup's story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy's call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child's call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. "When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,'" Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. "People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” A rare addition to Santa's story NORAD's tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa's story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada — known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That's when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org, that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time."Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.NEW YORK (AP) — No ex-president had a more prolific and diverse publishing career than . His more than two dozen books included nonfiction, poetry, fiction, religious meditations and a children’s story. His memoir “An Hour Before Daylight” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2002, while his 2006 best-seller “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” stirred a fierce debate by likening Israel’s policies in the West Bank to the brutal South African system of racial segregation. And just before his 100th birthday, the honored him with a for how he wielded “the power of the written word to foster peace, social justice, and global understanding.” In one recent work, “A Full Life,” Carter observed that he “enjoyed writing” and that his books “provided a much-needed source of income.” But some projects were easier than others. “Everything to Gain,” a 1987 collaboration with his wife, Rosalynn, turned into the “worst threat we ever experienced in our marriage,” an intractable standoff for the facilitator of the Camp David accords and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Carter, Rosalynn was a meticulous author who considered “the resulting sentences as though they have come down from Mount Sinai, carved into stone.” Their memories differed on various events and they fell into “constant arguments.” They were ready to abandon the book and return the advance, until their editor persuaded them to simply divide any disputed passages between them. “In the book, each of these paragraphs is identified by a ‘J’ or an ‘R,’ and our marriage survived,” he wrote. Here is a partial list of books by Carter: “Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President” “The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East” (With Rosalynn Carter) “Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life” “An Outdoor Journal: Adventures and Reflections” “Turning Point: A Candidate, a State, and a Nation Come of Age” “Always a Reckoning, and Other Poems” (With daughter Amy Carter) “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer” “Living Faith” “The Virtues of Aging” “An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood” “Christmas in Plains: Memories” “The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War” “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” “Faith & Freedom: The Christian Challenge for the World” “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” “A Remarkable Mother” “Beyond the White House” “We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work” “White House Diary” “NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter” “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power” “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety”

Dolby Laboratories SVP John Couling sells $4.57 million in stock— BIRTH NAME: James Earl Carter, Jr. — BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & MuseumCharles Conwell Looks To Take On The Big Names At 154 In 2025

M&C Communications Aids Campos Foundation Public Relations for December STEM Awareness Campaign— BIRTH NAME: James Earl Carter, Jr. — BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kenny Pickett had only fond memories of going to Eagles games with his dad and grandfather since the New Jersey native was 5 years old. Pickett rooted for greats such as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook and could not believe his good fortune this week when he knew — with Jalen Hurts out with a concussion — his boyhood dream would come true. Pickett was the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. “It’s incredibly special. I had a lot of family here, my dad especially, he’s the one who took me to all the games, and we have great memories together,” Pickett said. Pickett gave his family — and 60,000 more Eagles fans at the Linc — reason to cheer when he had touchdowns passing and rushing to help the Eagles build a comfortable cushion Sunday on the way to a 41-7 win over Dallas . It was the finish that was the problem. Pickett was forced to leave in the third quarter with injuries to his ribs, raising doubt in his availability for next week's finale against the New York Giants. “I’m good. I’ll be all right,” Pickett said. “Came in with a little bit of an injury and we’ll do some more tests and everything, see how it looks. But I’ll be OK.” Hurts suffered a concussion last week at Washington, which opened the door for Pickett to start for the first time this season. Pickett, acquired from Pittsburgh in the offseason, played with extra protection under his jersey after he suffered a rib injury when he was pressed into service against the Commanders. He finished 10 of 15 for 143 yards and took two hard shots on the same drive on the third. Osa Odighizuwa was flagged for roughing the passer on a late hit and Pickett was then forced to the locker room on a hit by Micah Parsons. “All the bodies lying on top of you, and then those couple hits afterwards, tough,” Pickett said. “But it’s part of the game. We love the game. Do anything to win.” Third-stringer Tanner McKee threw two touchdown passes in relief of Pickett. “You can’t go out there and play that position without the greatness of other people, and they had some greatness from other guys out there,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. Pickett returned to the field to celebrate with the Eagles after the win, which gave them the NFC East title. He took a moment to look around and absorb the scene and think about how far he has come — from fan in the stands in team gear to wearing the real-deal Kelly green uniform and winning a game. “It’s special, man,” he said. “And I sit out there on the field, I’m sure there’s a kid dreaming about playing for the Eagles and doing things that we went out there and did today.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNone

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder, dealing another blow to the 49ers' playoff hopes. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks . He underwent an MRI on Monday that showed no structural damage and the team initially thought he could play this week.

Hobbled Texans will try to deal blow to Ravens' AFC North title hopesSALT LAKE CITY -- A Department of Homeland Security agent who the FBI says conspired with another agent to sell an illicit drug known as “bath salts” pleaded not guilty to a drug distribution conspiracy charge Friday in federal court. A grand jury in Salt Lake City brought the criminal charge against Special Agent David Cole of the Homeland Security Investigations unit earlier this week. The indictment alleges that Cole abused his position as a federal law enforcement agent to obtain and sell drugs for profit. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Cole took drugs that had been seized as evidence, telling colleagues he was using them for legitimate investigations, and instead sold them to a confidential informant who resold the drugs for profit on the streets of Utah, according to the indictment. The informant, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been recruited by federal agents to work for them upon his release from prison. But in addition to conducting controlled buys from suspected drug dealers as directed by investigators, the informant said he was compelled by Cole and another agent to also engage in illegal sales. The investigation began after the informant’s defense attorney contacted the U.S. Attorney in Utah in October to report that agents had required him to engage in potentially illegal acts dating from last spring to early December. Details of drug sales offered by the informant were confirmed through surveillance and other sources, the FBI said. Cole and the second agent — identified in court documents only as “Person A” — profited up to $300,000 from the illegal scheme, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker said Friday that “Person A” had not been arrested or charged, but the investigation was ongoing. Cole, 50, of South Jordan, Utah, entered the courtroom Friday handcuffed and hunched over, wearing a white and gray, striped jumpsuit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead accepted Cole's not guilty plea and scheduled a trial for the week of Feb. 24. Federal officials say Cole’s indictment sends a message that officers who break the law and undermine the public’s trust in law enforcement will be prosecuted. “A drug dealer who carries a badge is still a drug dealer — and one who has violated an oath to uphold the law and protect the public,” said Nicole Argentieri, head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "No one is above the law.” Special Agent Shohini Sinha, who leads the FBI's Salt Lake City field office, said Cole’s alleged actions helped fuel an already devastating drug crisis . Ingestion of synthetic bath salts, also known as Alpha-PVP or cathinone, can lead to bizarre behavior such as paranoia and extreme strength, according to authorities who say it’s similar to methamphetamine, cocaine or ecstasy. They are unrelated to actual bathing products. Cole’s attorney, Alexander Ramos, has declined to directly address the criminal allegations but said his client has a strong reputation within the federal law enforcement community. Ramos did not immediately respond Friday to emails seeking comment on the not guilty plea. The Homeland Security Investigations department where Cole worked conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, weapons, drugs and sensitive technology into, out of and across the U.S. Cole and the second agent had their credentials suspended but have not been fired, according to court documents.

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Bridgeton nursing home barred from Medicaid after NJ comptroller finds fraud and abuseDALLAS — With Juan Soto gone, the New York Yankees could trade for a top-tier rental for the second straight offseason. “We’re open to anything,” Brian Cashman said Wednesday morning as rumors involving Houston’s Kyle Tucker swirled around the Winter Meetings. The meetings began with Soto spurning the Yankees for a record-setting, 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets. Astros general manager Dana Brown then made it known that he would “listen on anybody” when asked if he’d consider trading Tucker and starting pitcher Framber Valdez. Like Soto, Tucker is a power-hitting right fielder who gets on base and bats from the left side. While not as gifted a hitter as Soto, Tucker is still a force who also offers more speed and better defense. Could he replace Soto ahead of his own walk year? “I would expect us to have conversations with all teams about what availability of players on their roster are, as well as all agents of players in free agency that we like, too,” Cashman said when asked if he’d be in contact with Brown. “We’ll check every box and ascertain price tags and that will be true of anything in the marketplace.” According to multiple reports, the Astros like Yankees’ right-hander Luis Gil, the American League Rookie of the Year, in a potential deal for Tucker. Meanwhile, the Cubs are also seen as suitors, among others, as Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes are chips for Chicago. Last year, the Yankees traded five players — Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez — to San Diego for Soto and Trent Grisham. It was a high price to pay for what amounted to just one year of Soto. The Yankees also paid the superstar a record-setting $31 million for 2024 to avoid arbitration. Tucker, scheduled to become a free agent for the first time next winter, is projected to make $15.8 million in arbitration this offseason. Were the Yankees to acquire the 27-year-old, they could try to engage him in extension talks like they did with Soto. However, it may be hard for Tucker to pass on a shot at the open market after seeing what Soto got. While Tucker won’t pull in as many dollars as Soto did, his age and talent should put him in line for a gigantic deal of his own. Limited to 78 games last season thanks to a shin fracture, Tucker hit .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, 49 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 180 wRC+. The seven-year pro is a .274/.353/.516 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBI, 94 stolen bases and a 139 wRC+ for his career. A three-time All-Star, Tucker also won the World Series with Houston in 2022. With R ō ki Sasaki’s free agency underway, Cashman said the Yankees already have a presentation prepared for the Japanese ace as they await a meeting date. Sasaki grew up a big fan of Masahiro Tanaka, but Cashman declined to say if the former Yankee factored into the team’s pitch. “We’ve had some great [Japanese] players that have played here and enjoyed playing here,” Cashman said, highlighting Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda. “But that doesn’t guarantee any individual’s decision piggybacking on those types. But I know those players are great resources to speak to the experiences that they had here.” Cashman saw Sasaki pitch for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023. He came away impressed, calling the right-hander a “big arm with a big desire to be great.” “His intent is to be one of the game’s greatest pitchers on the planet,” Cashman said. “We certainly would love to participate in allowing that to happen.” With the Yankees and Mets both interested in Sasaki — the 23-year-old’s age limits him to international signing bonus pool money — agent Joel Wolfe said that Sasaki could handle the bright lights of New York on Tuesday. However, Wolfe also suggested that Sasaki could benefit from a smaller market after negative experiences with Japanese media took a mental toll on the pitcher. Pinstripers’ payroll According to Cot’s Contracts, the Yankees’ 2025 projected payroll is $258.1 million for competitive balance tax purposes after agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million contract with former Braves starter Max Fried on Tuesday. That puts them over the first tax threshold of $241 million. The second threshold is $261 million, followed by $281 million and $301 million. Last month, Hal Steinbrenner said he had yet to think about a target number for next year’s payroll. On Wednesday, Cashman was asked if a number had been communicated to him. He responded by simply saying that Steinbrenner said that all possibilities should be brought to his attention. “He’s fully invested and involved every step of the way,” Cashman said. “So he’s aware of all the price tags on the trade acquisitions, as well the free agents.” Spencer Jones and other prospects In spring training, Steinbrenner said that he didn’t want to trade top prospects Will Warren, Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton. Each went on to endure disappointing seasons in various ways, though, as Warren, who made his MLB debut, and Jones saw their numbers dip while the now-healthy Hampton suffered a flexor strain. On Wednesday, Cashman said he’s “open minded to everything” when asked about possibly trading members of the trio. “Certain guys, you’re more willing to discuss, and other guys, you’ve got a lot more trepidation in discussing,” he continued. “It’s just the nature of the beast.” With regards to Jones, Cashman said the outfielder is capable of more than he showed during a strikeout-heavy 2024 campaign. The GM called the Yankees’ sixth-best prospect, per Baseball America, a “physical beast,” but he noted bigger players sometimes take more time to develop. Cashman cited Dellin Betances and Aaron Judge as examples while talking about Jones, who is 6-6. “All those tools are real, so the excitement is all there,” Cashman said of Jones, who has displayed power and speed. “You also have to be patient.”

LONDON (AP) — Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run in the Premier League to six games on Friday. It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count. Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance. Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury. One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago. The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees. Arsenal was hosting Ipswich in Friday's other game in the Premier League, ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated PressHouse OKs bill to add judges

3 lucky numbers for libra How Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesElon Musk is already identifying specific government employees with “fake jobs” as he recommends mass firings as co-chair of Donald Trump ’s newly-created Department of Government Efficiency. The billionaire re-shared a post last week that highlighted Ashley Thomas, a little-known director of climate diversification at the US International Development Finance Corporation. The original poster shared a screenshot of Thomas’s role, writing, “I don’t think the US Taxpayer should pay for the employment of a ‘Director of Climate Diversification (she/her)’ at the US International Development Finance Corporation.” Musk captioned his re-shared post : “So many fake jobs.” Thomas’s role is anything but fake. Her work involves finding innovations that serve the country’s interests, an agency official told the Wall Street Journal , including bolstering infrastructure and agriculture against extreme weather events — which are on the rise due to the ongoing climate crisis . Thomas, 37, holds engineering, business and water science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Oxford, and “works for a federal agency that partners with private companies to finance ways to improve living standards in developing countries,” according to the Journal . Musk’s remark sparked a flurry of responses, with some defending Thomas while others mocked her. “A tough way for Ashley Thomas to find out she’s losing her job,” one user posted, according to the Journal . “You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and dangerously targeting a person who works an honest job to provide for their family,” civil rights activist Michael Skolnik said. An official with the US International Development Finance Corporation told The Independent the agency “does not comment on individual personnel positions or matters.” Musk and Ramaswamy also penned an op-ed for the Journal last week explaining their plan for the Department of Government Efficiency. They claimed their department will be guided by a pair of Supreme Court rulings that legal scholars have warned will turn the courts into weapons against federal regulations that right-wing groups have spent years trying to undermine, The Independent previously reported. “We are focused on delivering cost savings for taxpayers,” they wrote . “The Skeptics question how much federal spending DOGE can tame through executive action alone.” “They point to the 1974 Impoundment Control Act , which stops the president from ceasing expenditures authorized by Congress,” they continued. “Mr. Trump has previously suggested this statute is unconstitutional, and we believe the current Supreme Court would likely side with him on this question.” Musk and Ramaswamy appear “utterly ignorant” of federal laws that mandate clear and strict procedures for repealing regulations, administrative law expert and George Washington University professor Richard Pierce told The Washington Post on Sunday. The Independent has contacted Musk for comment.

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How Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes

Years of idiotic generation-bashing have led to this particularly stupid statement: “People don’t want to work.” Great minds will no doubt come up with a dumber assessment but let’s stick to this one. Let’s start with the obvious. WRONG. They don’t want to work for nothing, and they want to have lives. The constant bleating self-righteous headlines tell a long irritating story of ignorance and ineptitude. Wages are now useless. The workplace environment is often hellish and absurdly stressful. People turn over fast due to multiple good reasons. The paranoid penny-pinching surveillance-obsessed management culture is utterly insufferable for many. Unrealistic and absurdly costly demands like “back to the office” don’t help people struggling to pay rent, health, and power. You can pay for your long time-consuming commute or eat, apparently. This imbecility effectively turns 8 hour days into far more expensive 12 hour days and bites deeply into wages and savings. That can never be sustainable in this massively overpriced economy. Thanks to the cost of living , the ordinary job, particularly a low-wage job is now a form of extended torture, and it looks like it’s about to get a lot worse. It’s not a complete mystery how this happened. The banal, simplistic certainties of jobs and careers were completely blindsided. A job now means nothing and a career is, at best, likely to be patchy. People have been infamously working more than one job just to meet rent and living costs for well over a decade. Food banks are supporting incredible numbers of people . According to one person I spoke to from a food bank, they say more people should be using them. Contrast this cluster of stupidities with the “one job was enough to raise a family and own a house” of 60 years ago. That was pretty much true. You couldn’t call it flashy, but it worked. People had lives, too. The society was healthier, crime was much lower, and there were actual opportunities. You could at least convince yourself that you had a credible future. Not anymore. The Millennials and Gen Z don’t and can’t believe it. They can’t own homes, and it’s a miserable, unhygienic, and hyper-neurotic living environment in so many ways. How are they supposed to achieve anything? They’re trying to live in an economic environment that no longer functions. Ground-level data is all bad. If you look at the global medication stats , you’ll see that things aren’t great. Some of these meds are even dietary supplements, used to manage deficiencies in basic nutrition. Gen Alpha will be totally feral, with so many good reasons. They have nothing but economic hardship to look forward to, particularly with AI hoovering up so many jobs. They have no reason to do anything but go into survival mode. “The system” is effectively dead. I doubt you could convince the Mills, Z or Alphas that the system ever worked because the system has basically killed their chances. We’ll leave out the politics. Suffice to say that the word “politics” is now a synonym for “insanity” For progressives like me, that’s incredibly infuriating. Who told you sanctimonious morons to just babble on while civilization collapsed? You’re as bad as they are. What’s needed is the exact opposite, The world needs a lot of competence on the job. That’s what jobs are supposed to do, and who’s supposed to be doing them, in case the topic ever comes up. Not ridiculous greedy little nobodies who screw up everything they touch and get overpaid for it. A gang member said years ago that there was no point in working a low-wage day job when he could make thousands a day illegally. Sound familiar? I remember hearing that 50 years ago. So let’s get back to this “Nobody wants to work” idiocy. In the absence of leadership which has taken mediocrity to new heights of ineptitude, what are you supposed to do? The only thing you can do. Create a life for yourself. Go indie . Be a contractor or whatever so you can work on your own terms doing work you’re good at. Just make sure you get paid. Get useful skills like a trade or something that can’t be automated overnight. Be your own boss, if for no other reason than it’s much less annoying. It can be quite frustrating and worrying working with “whatever” in the market. if you know how to hustle, you can work on your terms. Good luck. Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.Showing promise as a rookie, Greg Dulcich has been unable to replicate that form since. The former third-rounder had surmounted his nagging injury issues this season but has not commandeered a role for the Broncos. As a result of this and injured players being close to returning to the 53-man roster, 9News’ Mike Klis notes the Broncos are waiving Dulcich. The young tight end’s rookie contract runs through 2025; if no team claims him by 3pm CT on Tuesday, he will hit free agency. The Broncos discussed Dulcich in trades before the deadline but opted to hang onto him. Dulcich’s injury led to the Broncos receiving little — in terms of aerial production — from their tight end contingent last season, with a hamstring injury and subsequent aggravation leading him to two IR placements. The 24-year-old target played just 32 snaps last season. Although he came back to play 120 this year, the Broncos had dropped him to healthy-scratch status several weeks ago. Despite Denver still receiving little from its tight ends, Sean Payton has not found a place for the third-year pass catcher. As a rookie breaking into the NFL on a team that featured a disjointed offense — during an ill-fated Nathaniel Hackett – Russell Wilson partnership — Dulich totaled 420 receiving yards in just 10 games. The Broncos had included previous starter Noah Fant in the Wilson trade that year, and Dulcich profiled as the obvious successor. But hamstring trouble intervened early, as Dulcich both began and ended the 2022 season on IR. Payton said Dulcich saw hamstring specialists, and he was not a full participant during the Broncos’ offseason program this year. Dulcich returned in time for training camp and started three games this season, but he quickly fell out of favor. Catching only five passes for 28 yards, Dulcich has not been active since Week 4. Denver has used Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull , a former Saints UDFA during Dennis Allen ‘s HC tenure, as its primary tight ends since. Neither player has more than 175 yards, with Trautman sitting at 158 to pace the group. The Broncos are preparing to activate Josh Reynolds from IR and linebacker Drew Sanders from the PUP list. The Dulcich exit will open one roster spot, and while the Broncos could bring him back on their practice squad, a waiver claim preventing that should not be ruled out. Dulcich is due less than $400K in remaining 2024 base salary and is tied to a nonguaranteed $1.42MM number in 2025. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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NoneSwans to make announcement amid speculation on Longmire exit

Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 21 November 2024 at 22:30 EET Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 21.11.2024 Espoo, Finland – On 21 November 2024 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows: * Rounded to two decimals On 25 January 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to return up to EUR 600 million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of two years. The first phase of the share buyback program started on 20 March 2024. On 19 July 2024, Nokia decided to accelerate the share buybacks by increasing the number of shares to be repurchased during the year 2024. The post-increase repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 22 July 2024 and end by 31 December 2024 with a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 600 million for all purchases during 2024. Total cost of transactions executed on 21 November 2024 was EUR 1,534,824. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 209,702,510 treasury shares. Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement. On behalf of Nokia Corporation BofA Securities Europe SA About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications Nokia Investor Relations Phone: +358 40 803 4080 Email: investor.relations@nokia.com Attachment Daily Report 2024-11-21Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker found guilty of leaking 49ers report, perjury

AT&T and Verizon Communications acknowledged that they’d been hit by the China-linked Salt Typhoon hacking operation but that their networks were now clear from the intrusion. The hackers attempted to gain information about foreign intelligence, Dallas-based AT&T said on Saturday (Dec 28). New York City-based Verizon said in a separate statement that “a small number of high-profile customers in government and politics” had been targeted. “We have not detected threat actor activity in Verizon’s network for some time, and after considerable work addressing this incident, we can report that Verizon has contained the activities associated with this particular incident,” Verizon Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh said. An independent cybersecurity firm confirmed the containment of the threat, Verizon said. Both carriers said they are cooperating with authorities and notifying parties whose information may have been compromised. “We detect no activity by nation-state actors in our networks at this time,” AT&T said. “Based on our current investigation of this attack, the People’s Republic of China targeted a small number of individuals of foreign intelligence interest. In the relatively few instances in which an individual’s information was impacted, we have complied with our notification obligations in cooperation with law enforcement.” The Wall Street Journal reported in October that telecom carriers including AT&T and Verizon were hit by the Salt Typhoon network intrusions, and the hackers potentially accessed systems the federal government uses for court-authorised network wiretapping requests. Since then, information about what’s going on inside the carriers has not been shared widely. T-Mobile USA disclosed that it caught suspicious behaviour on network-level routers that appeared consistent with Salt Typhoon, but it booted the attackers before they accessed any customer data. The White House confirmed on Friday that nine telecom companies were breached in the intrusion, nicknamed Salt Typhoon by Microsoft threat researchers, but US officials did not name the affected companies. US officials have said they still do not know exactly how many Americans were targeted and that it’s impossible to predict how long it will take to eradicate the threat across the country. China has repeatedly denied involvement. The Biden administration recently called telecom industry leaders to a closed-door session in which industry and government representatives discussed how to address the vast vulnerabilities. The attendees included AT&T chief executive officer John Stankey. BLOOMBERGQuantumScape checks last item off its 2024 to-do list, enabling higher sample volumes of first commercial solid-state battery

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10 . Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. Purdy wasn't the only star player missing for the 49ers on Sunday with defensive end Nick Bosa missing the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique and left tackle Trent Williams out with an ankle injury. “Just waiting to see how they respond,” Shanahan said. “They didn’t respond great last week. That’s why they weren’t able to go. Nick and Trent are both in the same boat. ... We’ll evaluate as this week progresses and hopefully it turns a better corner than it did last week.” In other injury news, linebacker Dre Greenlaw will return to practice this week for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl last season. Greenlaw will likely need at least a couple of weeks of practice before being able to return to play. Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano will be shut down for the rest of the season after his knee injury didn't fully heal. Feliciano's three-week practice window ended Monday and the Niners decided to keep him on injured reserve instead of activating him. Left guard Aaron Banks, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and receiver Jacob Cowing all remain in concussion protocol to start this week and their status is unknown. Right guard Dominick Puni (shoulder) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. Cornerback Renardo Green (neck) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens is expected to return to practice this week after missing the past four games with a groin injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflOklahoma's Zac Alley joins Rich Rodriguez's West Virginia staff as defensive coordinator

The Kayin ethnic people joyfully celebrate their New Year Festival every year on the 1st waxing Pyatho. It is a time for the Kayin people to embrace the New Year with renewed energy, optimism, and a fresh spirit, symbolizing a new beginning. The national races residing together in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar have diverse customs and traditions. Despite differences in birthplace, region, language, literature, culture, religion, traditions, and customs, they have coexisted harmoniously as siblings within the Union, sharing the same land and resources to possess the same fortune. During the period when the country was under colonial rule, the Kayin people, driven by patriotism and a strong sense of national pride, joined hands with all other ethnic groups to fight for the country’s independence, sacrificing their lives, blood, and sweat. This historical contribution remains a source of great pride and respect. In Myanmar, the Kayin ethnic group, as well as all national brethren from various regions, should always preserve and uphold their noble traditions for durable existence. If everyone stands united, in harmony and solidarity, the Union will remain stable, strong, and enduring with unity. Peace is fundamental for the economic development of the nation, the improvement of the social lives of its citizens, national peace, prosperity and the rule of law. Mutual respect among ethnic organizations, cooperation between individuals, and reducing misunderstandings and conflicts through dialogue and discussions are a key to resolving issues. The government has been holding meetings and discussions with political parties and ethnic armed groups to achieve durable peace. It has also been able to record the views obtained from these discussions, which will be further deliberated and confirmed in future parliamentary sessions. Invitations for continued dialogue are always open, and the door remains open for further engagement. In the future, efforts will continue to be made to work towards peace. Currently, to ensure the necessary peace and stability, rule of law, and socioeconomic development, all ethnic people, including the Kayin ethnic group residing in Kayin State, must unite and work together. To reduce the occurrence of conflicts and violent unrest in relevant regions, including Kayin State, they must work in unity to bring about peace and harmony, with all ethnic groups joining together to contribute to a peaceful and prosperous Union. It is hoped that this will lead to greater stability and development.

TROY, Ala. (AP) — Amir "Primo" Spears led UTSA with 29 points, including a three-point play with 25.8 seconds left, as the Roadrunners knocked off Merrimack 76-74 on Wednesday. Spears added five rebounds for the Roadrunners (2-3). Jonnivius Smith scored 11 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and added 20 rebounds. Marcus Millender went 3 of 9 from the field (2 for 6 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Adam Clark led the way for the Warriors (1-6) with 28 points, six rebounds and four steals. Devon Savage added 15 points for Merrimack. Bryan Etumnu finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. The loss was the Warriors' sixth in a row. Damari Monsanto put up eight points in the first half for UTSA, who led 37-36 at halftime. Spears scored a team-high 24 points for UTSA in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .