Furthermore, misinformation and rumors can also have detrimental effects on the automotive industry and related businesses. The false perception of an impending stringent vehicle inspection may lead to a decrease in car sales, as consumers may hold off on purchasing new vehicles due to uncertainties about potential inspection requirements. This, in turn, could impact the economy and the livelihoods of those working in the automotive sector.NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Yazmeen Ryan has been traded to Houston Dash in exchange for a record fee, per multiple reports. Ryan was sent to Houston for a reported transfer fee of $400,000, per The Equalizer's . The transfer fee is reportedly thought to be the largest cash intra-league transfer fee in NWSL history. Ryan will reportedly sign a new contract with the Dash, as her current deal with Gotham expires in 2026. The 25-year-old midfielder has had another breakout season on a talent Gotham roster, finishing the season with five goals and five assists. She caught the eye of USWNT coach Emma Hayes, ; since then, she has made four appearances with the USWNT. The NWSL has never been transparent about things like transfer fees, making it difficult to confirm how the amount stacks up against previous fees. But $400,000 is certainly an eye-catching number, and it proves how much Ryan's stock has gone up in the past few years: The Thorns sent the midfielder to Gotham in a three-team trade in 2023, and received $200,000 in allocation money from Angel City during the exchange. The only potentially higher transaction came last season, when Houston sent forward María Sánchez to the San Diego Wave, and received a $500,000 in allocation money in return. (Sánchez had after signing the then-biggest contract in NWSL history.) Ryan started her NWSL career with the Portland Thorns, earning a Supporters' Shield and an NWSL Championship in her first two years in the league. She was a key part of Gotham FC's championship-winning season in 2023. With the trade, the midfielder will be returning to Texas, where she played for TCU for four seasons. Per Kassouf, the trade took place before the transaction moratorium on Friday, Dec. 20. NWSL teams are not allowed to trade and sign players between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26 as part of a league-wide shutdown. The moratorium will lift on Friday, Dec. 27 to allow teams to start signing players again. The move for Ryan is big for the Dash, who finished the season dead last in the league with only five wins. Houston has shied away from big signings over the past few years, with their biggest player — Sánchez — leaving at the start of the season. Now, Houston is finally making some moves. Earlier this month, the Dash Ryan's Gotham teammate, free agent midfielder Delanie Sheehan. The two will be a good pair to shore up the Dash's midfield. As for Gotham, Ryan's departure marks a trend. This past season, Gotham's success has come from its big-name signings. The team signed four USWNT stars last January, in one go, while also bringing in international stars like Spanish forward Esther González, defender Jess Carter, German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger and many more. But the team has also relied on a deep bench, with lesser-known players like Ryan and Sheehan holding down the fort. However, part of having a deep bench is that those strong players sitting on the bench might get a little restless. The team only had one draft pick in the 2024 draft, defender Maycee Bell, and her to the North Carolina Courage halfway through the season because they frankly didn't need her. And now that the season is over, Gotham's players are starting to scatter. Besides Ryan and Sheehan heading to Houston, forward Lynn Williams . Players like defender Sam Hiatt and midfielder Maitane López with the team after getting less playing time. It's possible that Gotham has an overabundance of talent last year, and the players who didn't see as much time on the field want to go somewhere where they're more valued. Gotham, meanwhile, has continued looking towards outside talent. With the midfield a little sparser without Ryan and Sheehan, the team 19-year-old Ghananian midfielder Stella Nyamekye to a three-year contract.
KYIV, Ukraine — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile. escalating the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks Friday during a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense, representatives of the military-industrial complex and developers of missile systems at the Kremlin in Moscow. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads, each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia will launch production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said. “Sooner or later, other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development. “We have this system now,” he added. “And this is important.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin’s claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” In this photo taken from a video released Friday, a Russian serviceman operates at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick ... there will be consequences,” he said. Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky speaks to journalists Friday during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha in Kyiv, Ukraine. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He said the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who said it's not the first time such a threat has been received. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. We're all going to die someday. Still, how it happens—and when—can point to a historical moment defined by the scientific advancements and public health programs available at the time to contain disease and prevent accidents. In the early 1900s, America's efforts to improve sanitation, hygiene, and routine vaccinations were still in their infancy. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high, as were contagious diseases that spread between people and animals. Combined with the devastation of two World Wars—and the Spanish Flu pandemic in between—the leading causes of death changed significantly after this period. So, too, did the way we diagnose and control the spread of disease. Starting with reforms as part of Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, massive-scale, federal interventions in the U.S. eventually helped stave off disease transmission. It took comprehensive government programs and the establishment of state and local health agencies to educate the public on preventing disease transmission. Seemingly simple behavioral shifts, such as handwashing, were critical in thwarting the spread of germs, much like discoveries in medicine, such as vaccines, and increased access to deliver them across geographies. Over the course of the 20th century, life expectancy increased by 56% and is estimated to keep increasing slightly, according to an annual summary of vital statistics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000. Death Records examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to see how the leading causes of death in America have evolved over time and to pinpoint how some major mortality trends have dropped off. According to a report published in the journal Annual Review of Public Health in 2000, pneumonia was the leading cause of death in the early 1900s, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 deaths. By the time World War I ended in 1918, during which people and animals were housed together for long periods, a new virus emerged: the Spanish Flu. Originating in a bird before spreading to humans, the virus killed 10 times as many Americans as the war. Many died of secondary pneumonia after the initial infection. Pneumonia deaths eventually plummeted throughout the century, partly prevented by increased flu vaccine uptake rates in high-risk groups, particularly older people. Per the CDC, tuberculosis was a close second leading cause of death, killing 194 of every 10,000 people in 1900, mainly concentrated in dense urban areas where the infection could more easily spread. Eventually, public health interventions led to drastic declines in mortality from the disease, such as public education, reducing crowded housing, quarantining people with active disease, improving hygiene, and using antibiotics. Once the death rates lagged, so did the public health infrastructure built to control the disease, leading to a resurgence in the mid-1980s. Diarrhea was the third leading cause of death in 1900, surging every summer among children before the impacts of the pathogen died out in 1930. Adopting water filtration, better nutrition, and improved refrigeration were all associated with its decline. In the 1940s and 1950s, polio outbreaks killed or paralyzed upward of half a million people worldwide every year. Even at its peak, polio wasn't a leading cause of death, it was a much-feared one, particularly among parents of young children, some of whom kept them from crowded public places and interacting with other children. By 1955, when Jonah Salk discovered the polio vaccine, the U.S. had ended the "golden age of medicine." During this period, the causes of mortality shifted dramatically as scientists worldwide began to collaborate on infectious disease control, surgical techniques, vaccines, and other drugs. From the 1950s onward, once quick-spreading deadly contagions weren't prematurely killing American residents en masse, scientists also began to understand better how to diagnose and treat these diseases. As a result, Americans were living longer lives and instead succumbing to noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs. The risk of chronic diseases increased with age and, in some cases, was exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Cancer and heart disease shot up across the century, increasing 90-fold from 1900 to 1998, according to CDC data. Following the post-Spanish Flu years, heart disease killed more Americans than any other cause, peaking in the 1960s and contributing to 1 in 3 deaths. Cigarette smoking rates peaked at the same time, a major risk factor for heart disease. Obesity rates also rose, creating another risk factor for heart disease and many types of cancers. This coincides with the introduction of ultra-processed foods into diets, which plays a more significant role in larger waistlines than the increasing predominance of sedentary work and lifestyles. In the early 1970s, deaths from heart disease began to fall as more Americans prevented and managed their risk factors, like quitting smoking or taking blood pressure medicine. However, the disease remains the biggest killer of Americans. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death and rates still indicate an upward trajectory over time. Only a few types of cancer are detected early by screening, and some treatments for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma—the most common type of brain cancer—have also stalled, unable to improve prognosis much over time. In recent years, early-onset cancers, those diagnosed before age 50 or sometimes even earlier, have seen a drastic rise among younger Americans. While highly processed foods and sedentary lifestyles may contribute to rising rates, a spike in cancer rates among otherwise healthy young individuals has baffled some medical professionals. This follows the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. At its peak, high transmission rates made the virus the third leading cause of death in America. It's often compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918, though COVID-19 had a far larger global impact, spurring international collaborations among scientists who developed a vaccine in an unprecedented time. Public policy around issues of safety and access also influences causes of death, particularly—and tragically—among young Americans. Gun control measures in the U.S. are far less stringent than in peer nations; compared to other nations, however, the U.S. leads in gun violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (around 2 in 3 are homicides, and 1 in 3 are suicides), and deaths from opioids remain a leading cause of death among younger people. Globally, the leading causes of death mirror differences in social and geographic factors. NCDs are primarily associated with socio-economic status and comprise 7 out of 10 leading causes of death, 85% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. However, one of the best health measures is life expectancy at birth. People in the U.S. have been living longer lives since 2000, except for a slight dip in longevity due to COVID-19. According to the most recent CDC estimates, Americans' life expectancy is 77.5 years on average and is expected to increase slightly in the coming decades. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Death Records and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Veer Bal Diwas 2024: PM Modi Calls For Equipping Youth With Skills In Emerging Technologies Like AI And Machine Learning; VIDEOHuang Renxun's emphasis on innovation and creativity has led to the development of groundbreaking technologies and products that have revolutionized the telecommunications industry. From 5G infrastructure to smartphones and AI-powered devices, Huawei continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, thanks to Huang Renxun's leadership and the flat organizational structure he has implemented.
KYIV, Ukraine — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile. escalating the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks Friday during a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense, representatives of the military-industrial complex and developers of missile systems at the Kremlin in Moscow. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads, each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia will launch production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said. “Sooner or later, other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development. “We have this system now,” he added. “And this is important.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin’s claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” In this photo taken from a video released Friday, a Russian serviceman operates at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick ... there will be consequences,” he said. Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky speaks to journalists Friday during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha in Kyiv, Ukraine. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He said the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who said it's not the first time such a threat has been received. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. We're all going to die someday. Still, how it happens—and when—can point to a historical moment defined by the scientific advancements and public health programs available at the time to contain disease and prevent accidents. In the early 1900s, America's efforts to improve sanitation, hygiene, and routine vaccinations were still in their infancy. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high, as were contagious diseases that spread between people and animals. Combined with the devastation of two World Wars—and the Spanish Flu pandemic in between—the leading causes of death changed significantly after this period. So, too, did the way we diagnose and control the spread of disease. Starting with reforms as part of Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, massive-scale, federal interventions in the U.S. eventually helped stave off disease transmission. It took comprehensive government programs and the establishment of state and local health agencies to educate the public on preventing disease transmission. Seemingly simple behavioral shifts, such as handwashing, were critical in thwarting the spread of germs, much like discoveries in medicine, such as vaccines, and increased access to deliver them across geographies. Over the course of the 20th century, life expectancy increased by 56% and is estimated to keep increasing slightly, according to an annual summary of vital statistics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000. Death Records examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to see how the leading causes of death in America have evolved over time and to pinpoint how some major mortality trends have dropped off. According to a report published in the journal Annual Review of Public Health in 2000, pneumonia was the leading cause of death in the early 1900s, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 deaths. By the time World War I ended in 1918, during which people and animals were housed together for long periods, a new virus emerged: the Spanish Flu. Originating in a bird before spreading to humans, the virus killed 10 times as many Americans as the war. Many died of secondary pneumonia after the initial infection. Pneumonia deaths eventually plummeted throughout the century, partly prevented by increased flu vaccine uptake rates in high-risk groups, particularly older people. Per the CDC, tuberculosis was a close second leading cause of death, killing 194 of every 10,000 people in 1900, mainly concentrated in dense urban areas where the infection could more easily spread. Eventually, public health interventions led to drastic declines in mortality from the disease, such as public education, reducing crowded housing, quarantining people with active disease, improving hygiene, and using antibiotics. Once the death rates lagged, so did the public health infrastructure built to control the disease, leading to a resurgence in the mid-1980s. Diarrhea was the third leading cause of death in 1900, surging every summer among children before the impacts of the pathogen died out in 1930. Adopting water filtration, better nutrition, and improved refrigeration were all associated with its decline. In the 1940s and 1950s, polio outbreaks killed or paralyzed upward of half a million people worldwide every year. Even at its peak, polio wasn't a leading cause of death, it was a much-feared one, particularly among parents of young children, some of whom kept them from crowded public places and interacting with other children. By 1955, when Jonah Salk discovered the polio vaccine, the U.S. had ended the "golden age of medicine." During this period, the causes of mortality shifted dramatically as scientists worldwide began to collaborate on infectious disease control, surgical techniques, vaccines, and other drugs. From the 1950s onward, once quick-spreading deadly contagions weren't prematurely killing American residents en masse, scientists also began to understand better how to diagnose and treat these diseases. As a result, Americans were living longer lives and instead succumbing to noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs. The risk of chronic diseases increased with age and, in some cases, was exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Cancer and heart disease shot up across the century, increasing 90-fold from 1900 to 1998, according to CDC data. Following the post-Spanish Flu years, heart disease killed more Americans than any other cause, peaking in the 1960s and contributing to 1 in 3 deaths. Cigarette smoking rates peaked at the same time, a major risk factor for heart disease. Obesity rates also rose, creating another risk factor for heart disease and many types of cancers. This coincides with the introduction of ultra-processed foods into diets, which plays a more significant role in larger waistlines than the increasing predominance of sedentary work and lifestyles. In the early 1970s, deaths from heart disease began to fall as more Americans prevented and managed their risk factors, like quitting smoking or taking blood pressure medicine. However, the disease remains the biggest killer of Americans. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death and rates still indicate an upward trajectory over time. Only a few types of cancer are detected early by screening, and some treatments for aggressive cancers like glioblastoma—the most common type of brain cancer—have also stalled, unable to improve prognosis much over time. In recent years, early-onset cancers, those diagnosed before age 50 or sometimes even earlier, have seen a drastic rise among younger Americans. While highly processed foods and sedentary lifestyles may contribute to rising rates, a spike in cancer rates among otherwise healthy young individuals has baffled some medical professionals. This follows the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. At its peak, high transmission rates made the virus the third leading cause of death in America. It's often compared to the Spanish Flu of 1918, though COVID-19 had a far larger global impact, spurring international collaborations among scientists who developed a vaccine in an unprecedented time. Public policy around issues of safety and access also influences causes of death, particularly—and tragically—among young Americans. Gun control measures in the U.S. are far less stringent than in peer nations; compared to other nations, however, the U.S. leads in gun violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (around 2 in 3 are homicides, and 1 in 3 are suicides), and deaths from opioids remain a leading cause of death among younger people. Globally, the leading causes of death mirror differences in social and geographic factors. NCDs are primarily associated with socio-economic status and comprise 7 out of 10 leading causes of death, 85% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. However, one of the best health measures is life expectancy at birth. People in the U.S. have been living longer lives since 2000, except for a slight dip in longevity due to COVID-19. According to the most recent CDC estimates, Americans' life expectancy is 77.5 years on average and is expected to increase slightly in the coming decades. Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Death Records and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
ATLANTA -- After a contentious election cycle, many people look forward to the holidays as a time to reset. But some of us dread talking about politics with certain family members. Producer Natalie Mendenhall spoke to Drew Westen, a professor emeritus at Emory University and a licensed psychologist. Here’s that interview with tips for you on keeping things civil with family and friends this holiday season. The answers were edited for clarity and brevity. And here are excerpts from the interview. Q: How can we prep for talking politics with family members who disagree with us politically? A: The best rule on holidays in an election like this, where the country is so polarized, is to stay clear of politics if you have really divergent opinions around the table. And whatever the holiday, to have a prayer at the beginning. To be thankful for family and for close friends, if they’re there. And regardless of their different opinions, we all share most of the same values at (our) core. We’re thankful for that. Q: What if the conversation gets heated, how can we de-escalate? A: Have a safe word. You could do this at the beginning of dinner. All of you agree that if a political discussion gets heated, someone says a word or a phrase, something — it could be George Washington — and then everyone knows to stop the political conversation. Q: How can we model good behavior for children and younger family members when talking about politics? A: It’s a really important question and they’ll be listening to what the adults are saying, at least with one of their ears and picking it up unconsciously if they’re not picking it up consciously. The first thing ... is to do everything possible for the adults not to get heated so that the kids can see that you might have different points of view on things, but you’re not making personal attacks on a family member. A second thing is something you mentioned, which is kids know a lot about what we feel, but also about what they feel. And it obviously depends on their age. You’re not going to talk to your 3-year-old extensively about whether we’re going to have a democracy when they grow up. Probably not a good idea, but you might talk to your 10-year-old or 12-year-old about that. If I could add one thing, when you’re speaking privately with your kids, it’s good to take your cues from what they know and what they say. And if they’re capable of having a fairly adult conversation or almost adult conversation about a candidate, I think you should feel free to talk openly with your kids about what your fears are, what your hopes are, what their fears and hopes are, and have nothing between you on that so that you don’t create walls within your own nuclear family. Q: If you just can’t agree to disagree, when do you know it’s time to cut off certain family members? A: You have to follow your gut on what you’re comfortable with. I do think a lot of people have lost respect for family members because of decisions they’ve made. It’s useful to remember at those moments that blood is thicker than water and that you were born with a family and you should be happy for it. But I’d be open with the other person and just say, “don’t think we have enough of a meeting of the minds on that for the moment.” And so make a (break) temporary. ... Hopefully we can get back on better terms later. Q: What if you’re the one that ended up making politics personal, how do you apologize? A: Your point about apologizing is actually really important. I mean, to maintain relationships, there are really two phrases you really have to be able to say genuinely — that is, thank you and I’m really sorry. You know, and if you can’t say those two things, you’re not going to be able to maintain relationships. Be able to say to someone, “you know what? I’m really sorry. I crossed the line with that comment and I didn’t mean to make this personal about you, but it’s so personal to me.” Q: What should our political New Year’s resolution be? I think our leaders in particular, but all of us, should make the New Year’s resolution that we’re going to tone down the partisanship and we’re going to focus more on what we all agree on. Because there are things we all agree on. ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.BOISE, Idaho — In the weeks leading up to what was expected to be a second attempt to execute Idaho’s longest-serving death row prisoner, state prison officials found they had a problem: Their lethal injection drugs expired. Already difficult to acquire for use in executions, the drugs are costly, too. Idaho paid $100,000 in state funds for the batch of pentobarbital, according to public ...
Like millions of American teens, Kailey Corum is savvy about the dangers of TikTok — but she’s also wary about government efforts to shut it down. The Virginia high school student uses the platform to catch up on news, listen to music and discover cooking tips. She chooses her words carefully when describing whether she trusts the Supreme Court to decide the fate of an app that 17% of teenagers report using “almost constantly.” “I don’t put, exactly, full faith into it,” said Corum, a junior, as she stood outside the Supreme Court after a recent tour of the building with her classmates. “But there’s not much personally I can do.” In the coming months, the Supreme Court will decide a series of blockbuster cases that could significantly transform the lives of the nation’s teenagers — potentially limiting access to vaping products , upholding a ban on transgender care for minors and deciding whether the controversial TikTok law can be squared with the First Amendment. The appeals have made their way to the justices — including two who still have teenage children — at a moment when lawmakers are engaging in fierce culture war fights over school book bans , transgender student athletes and the teaching of American history – prompting a flood of litigation that is already working its way through federal courts. The disputes are heating up even as there are signs that young people are especially disillusioned with Washington generally and the Supreme Court specifically. A Marquette Law School poll last week found the high court’s approval among Americans 18-29 stands at 44%, lower than any other age category. “It does feel like the biggest cases are ones that will directly implicate children’s interests,” said Aaron Tang, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in education law. “I don’t think we should be surprised that more and more cases are going to get to the court directly implicating young people when so many state and local lawmakers are legislating with morality and young people on their minds.” The Supreme Court added to its “teenager term” on Wednesday by agreeing to hear arguments in the fast-moving challenge to the widely bipartisan TikTok ban President Joe Biden signed in April. The law followed years of concern that TikTok’s Chinese parent company poses a national security risk. It would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the US if its US-based subsidiary makes a clean break from Chinese ownership. Affected but voiceless Pediatricians and other experts have for years warned about the potential harms of social media for teenagers, but it was national security — not social science — that ostensibly prompted Congress to approve the TikTok ban. Because of that, the questions now pending at the Supreme Court don’t deal with how young people interact with the app, even though they will be most affected by the court’s decision. The ban is set to take effect January 19. “The court, I don’t think, is thinking of this in terms of children,” said Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer, a law professor at Pace University who focuses on social media. “We all think of TikTok as being essential to teens and content creation — and Ariana Grande doing the ‘Wicked’ dance and everyone mimicking it — but the reason that the ban is in place is not because of that type of content,” Tenzer said. “It’s because of the fear that the People’s Republic of China can manipulate us.” That disconnect between the legal questions raised in the case and the potential impact on young people and their parents is a theme that runs through several of the major cases this term. A majority of the court’s justices signaled this month they are prepared to back a divisive Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming care for minors. Much of that argument on December 4 focused on whether courts should defer to state lawmakers in making those difficult choices. Far less time was spent on the transgender minors who have described the care as essential. The court notably declined to consider a question about whether parents have a right to direct care for their children. A case pending about the Food and Drug Administration’s effort to yank vaping products from shelves , meanwhile, has less to do with the health risks for youth than with whether the agency followed the proper legal protocols when it stepped in to regulate the multibillion-dollar industry. Nineteen percent of high school students vaped in 2020, the FDA says, a far higher share than that of students who smoked. At the center of both disputes are questions about whether state lawmakers and agencies overstepped when they enacted policies they say are necessary to protect young people. At least one conservative — Justice Clarence Thomas — appeared potentially persuaded by Tennessee’s argument that its transgender care ban applies to people based on age rather that sex and on their medical choices — a distinction that would make it easier for the state to defend the law in federal court. “So why isn’t this simply a case of age classification when it comes to these treatments as opposed to a ban?” Thomas asked the attorney for the Biden administration. Texas is making similar arguments in a case the court is set to hear next month concerning a state law that requires age verification for sexually explicit web sites. Opponents, including the porn industry, say the law violates the First Amendment by making it harder for adults to access adult content online. But supporters say the law is first and foremost about safeguarding minors. “Texas seeks to protect kids from some of the most prurient sexual content imaginable,” attorneys for the state wrote in court papers. “Texas has addressed only websites dedicated to pornography, has allowed them to comply by using common age-verification technology, and has not imposed criminal penalties. Such a modest but important law satisfies any level of scrutiny.” Disillusionment with SCOTUS Because of the way lawsuits move through the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court is limited in how it frames its cases and who is heard. While the justices did not grant a separate appeal from the transgender minors and their families affected by Tennessee’s ban, the court did allow their attorney to present arguments earlier this month. Still, experts say the cases that will affect teenagers that are now pending give attention to young people only secondarily. “The court isn’t directly evaluating what it thinks will be best for young people,” Tang said. “The court is evaluating whether state lawmakers — or the FDA, in the vaping case — were correct in their assessment of what would be best for young people.” That worries advocates who work with teenagers, who fear that some of the most contentious fights playing out in Congress and statehouses across the country are more about politics than they are about protecting minors. A Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey from earlier this year found that 44% of voting-age members of Gen Z said they trust the Supreme Court “very little,” while 20% said they had “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in the court. “What we have heard from them is an increase in distrust and an increase in disillusionment with government institutions,” said Diana Thu-Thao Rhodes, a vice president at Advocates for Youth, a reproductive and sexual rights organization. “The impact is directly on young people,” she said, “and yet we don’t necessarily hear the voices of young people.” Spencer Rahim, also a high school junior from Virginia, said that most teenagers he knows manage to find ways around the concerns many have about TikTok. Some, for instance, simply avoid posting personal material. “To me,” he said, “it’s not really that big of a concern.” Less certain for Rahim, however, is how the justices will tackle the issue. “They need to listen to the people a little bit more,” he said.In conclusion, the ITTF World Ranking Week 50 standings reflect the exceptional talent and skill of the Chinese players, as well as the country's strong presence in the global table tennis arena. With Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha setting the pace at the top, and China leading in multiple categories, the future looks bright for Chinese table tennis as they continue to showcase their dominance on the international stage.
Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicle
Palantir Technologies ( PLTR 2.09% ) stock was in red-hot form in 2024 as investors showed increasing interest in this software platforms specialist thanks to strong demand for the company's artificial intelligence (AI)-focused offerings, which led to nice accelerations in its top- and bottom-line growth. As of this writing, the stock is up an eye-popping 380% this year, and now trades at an extremely rich valuation. With a price-to-sales ratio of 75 and a trailing earnings multiple of 412, Palantir is not an ideal candidate for investors looking to buy an artificial intelligence (AI) stock at a reasonable valuation. Of course, the forward earnings multiple of 217 indicates that the company's bottom line is expected to improve remarkably in the coming year, but that rich valuation also means that any signs of weakness in Palantir's growth story could send the stock spiraling downward. There is a good chance that Palantir can sustain its impressive growth in the long run considering the lucrative AI software platforms market that it is serving, but it's still a risky investment. Those looking for a more reasonably priced company that's trying to capitalize on this opportunity might want to consider C3.ai ( AI 0.70% ) . Its stock notched more modest gains of 23% in 2024 and has been in the news for the wrong reasons of late . But it's also trading at significantly cheaper valuations than Palantir and is tapping a similar addressable market. As such, now would be a good time to ask if C3.ai can follow in its bigger peer's footsteps and deliver eye-popping gains to investors. Plenty of room for growth in AI software According to market research firm IDC, the AI software platforms market generated $28 billion in revenue in 2023. The firm forecasts that this market could be worth a whopping $153 billion by 2028, which means that there is room for more than one company to thrive in this space. Both Palantir and C3.ai are thus far just scratching the surface of a massive opportunity. Palantir's revenue over its past four reported quarters was $2.65 billion. C3.ai, on the other hand, generated $325 million. More importantly, both companies saw upticks in their growth rates since the beginning of 2023. PLTR Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts. What's more, both companies reported almost identical growth rates in their latest quarters. While Palantir's revenue increased 30% year over year to $726 million in the third quarter of 2024 to $726 million, C3.ai's top line jumped 29% year over year to $94 million in its fiscal 2025 second quarter, which ended on Oct. 31. Both also increased their full-year revenue guidance as the demand for their generative AI software solutions increased among both commercial and government customers. It is worth noting that Palantir initially made its name by supplying software platforms and analytics solutions to U.S. government agencies, but it has lately been focusing on winning more commercial customers in the enterprise AI software space. A similar story is unfolding at C3.ai. The company has "entered into new and expanded agreements with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office, among others," CEO Tom Siebel said the latest earnings conference call . Meanwhile, C3.ai has partnered with major cloud service providers such as Microsoft , Amazon , and Google to ensure a broader reach for the 100-plus enterprise AI applications that it offers. The company also offers an enterprise AI application development platform that allows customers to build their own solutions, apart from industry-specific solutions that help customers integrate generative AI into their operations. The company, in short, seems to be positioning itself to make the most of the huge addressable opportunity in the AI software market. But will that be enough for it to succeed to the degree that Palantir has? Strong growth is in the cards for both companies C3.ai is currently a much smaller company than Palantir. However, its top-line growth was almost the same as Palantir's last quarter, and both companies have enjoyed an uptick in their growth in the past couple of years. In addition, both companies expect to report a 25% increase in their top lines in the current fiscal year. Palantir's revenue is expected to land at $2.79 billion in 2024, while Palantir is expected to clock $388 million in revenue in the current fiscal year. Analysts anticipate robust double-digit percentage growth over the next couple of years as well. PLTR Revenue Estimates for Next Fiscal Year data by YCharts. Even better, analysts have increased their growth expectations from both companies. That's not surprising considering the size of the markets they serve, and there is a good chance that their growth prospects could continue improving as the adoption of generative AI software increases. So, even though C3.ai is expected to remain a smaller company than Palantir over the next couple of years, its solid growth and end-market opportunities make it an ideal alternative for anyone looking to benefit from the growth of the AI software market at a reasonable valuation. After all, C3.ai's sales multiple of 13 is less than a fifth of its bigger counterpart, even as their growth rates are almost equal. That's why investors looking for the next Palantir would do well to keep C3.ai on their watch lists or buy it now, as its improving growth profile could lead to healthy share price gains.
Furthermore, the expansion of automotive finance options underscores the evolving landscape of banking services, with institutions recognizing the importance of diversifying their product portfolios. By tapping into the growing demand for vehicle financing, banks are extending their reach into new market segments and solidifying their position as trusted financial partners. This strategic approach not only drives revenue growth but also enhances customer loyalty and satisfaction.Breaking news in the entertainment industry as the highly anticipated crime thriller sequel, "Fatal Mistake 3," recently announced a major casting update that has sent shockwaves through the film community. The production team behind the hit franchise revealed that the talented actor and singer, YINZIWEI, will be making a special appearance in the upcoming installment, much to the delight of fans worldwide.
In conclusion, the A-shares market's explosive start with over 200 billion RMB in trading volume within the first 10 minutes of trading was a remarkable event that captured the attention of investors and analysts alike. While the surge in trading activity signaled renewed investor confidence and optimism, it also raised concerns about potential market volatility and risks. As the trading day unfolded, all eyes were on the market to see how the day would continue to unfold and whether the momentum would be sustained. The A-shares market's performance in the early trading session served as a powerful reminder of the market's dynamism and potential for growth, showcasing the opportunities and challenges that come with investing in one of the world's largest and most dynamic markets.Wake-up call for fragmented oppn
Donald Trump has told 37 people on death row who had their sentences commuted by Joe Biden to “go to hell” in a lacerating Christmas Day social media post. The president-elect – long a vocal advocate of capital punishment – lashed out at Biden’s decision on his Truth Social platform, after wishing a merry Christmas to political opponents he addressed as “Radical Left Lunatics”. He then turned to those shown clemency by Biden in a decision announced on Monday: “ ... to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden . I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ‘souls’ but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!” Biden’s move reduced the death sentences of 37 out of 40 prisoners on federal death row to life imprisonment without parole and followed pressure from campaigners who warned that they were likely to be executed on Trump’s return to the White House. The exceptions applied to three men who had been convicted of offences regarded as terrorism or hate crimes, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was found guilty of carrying out the 2013 Boston marathon bombing attack. Biden – a one-time adherent of capital punishment – said in a statement that “guided by my conscience ... I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.” During his first presidency, Trump restarted federal executions after a 17-year gap, eventually presiding over more than the previous 10 presidents combined. Biden’s commutation order won the praise of campaigners, including Martin Luther King III, the son of the murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The majority of those whose sentences were commuted are people of colour, and 38% are Black, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. One of Trump’s earliest forays into the political arena was a full-page advert calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty after the rape of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park in 1989 and the subsequent arrests of five Black and Latino teenagers, who were charged and eventually convicted of the crime. All five, who denied involvement, were ultimately exonerated and released from prison after another man belatedly made a confession that was confirmed by DNA evidence. The men, now in their 50s, sued Trump for defamation after he falsely said during a presidential debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia in September that they had admitted guilt and that the victim had been killed. In another segment of his Christmas Day post , Trump sarcastically offered season’s greetings to Chinese troops serving in the Panama Canal, which he has publicly mused be returned to the US, and to the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, whom he taunted with the title “governor” in the latest of several demeaning provocations since winning November’s presidential election. “Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about ‘anything’,” he wrote. “Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World.” Christmas wishes were also extended to the residents of Greenland , “which is needed by the United States for National Security purposes and, who want the US to be there, and we will”. This was a reference to his call, initially made during his first presidency, that Denmark – which has sovereignty over the territory – sell it to the US. Both Denmark and Greenland’s autonomous administration have said that it is not for sale. In a later unrelated post , Trump wrote that he had met the retired Canadian ice hockey star Wayne Gretzky and asked him to run for the prime minister’s office, “soon to be known as the Governor of Canada”. “He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement,” Trump wrote. “It would be so much fun to watch!”
As the news of Zhang Meng's prenatal examination encounter with Little Wu spread, fans and well-wishers took to social media to express their admiration for the heartwarming friendship between the two women. Many praised Little Wu for her dedication and care towards Zhang Meng, highlighting the importance of having a supportive network of friends and loved ones during pregnancy.
One of the key benefits of this collaboration is the emphasis on efficiency and quality. Users can rest assured that the technicians dispatched through Gaode Maps are certified professionals with the expertise to provide reliable and effective solutions to their computer problems. This seamless integration of services not only saves users time and effort but also ensures a high standard of service delivery.
As the debate continues to unfold, it is clear that the issue of exclusive agreements in education requires careful consideration and deliberation. Balancing the rights and responsibilities of educators with the needs of educational institutions is essential to fostering a healthy and dynamic learning environment for students.Lily was diagnosed with uremia at the age of 10, a devastating blow to her and her family. Her kidneys were failing rapidly, and without timely intervention, her life hung in the balance. It was then that her parents made the courageous decision to donate their own kidneys to save their beloved daughter. The first transplant was successful, but complications arose, leading to the need for a second transplant just two years later.