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Quick Links Pratt & Whitney F135 Primary application: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Pratt & Whitney F119 Primary application: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor General Electric F110 Primary applications: Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon General Electric F404 Primary applications: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Northrop F-20 Tigershark, Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Rolls-Royce F402 Pegasus Primary application: McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Fighter jets are some of the most capable and robust aircraft in the skies. They are designed to be supermaneuverable while also flying at incredible speeds. As a result, fighter jets will need to be equipped with incredibly powerful engines, those capable of powering an aircraft to supersonic flight while also helping support the maneuverability required for fighter operations. Get all the latest aviation news from Simple Flying! The jet engines that power America's fighter jets are typically built by legacy engine manufacturers, including Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, typically in collaboration with the primary contractor behind a given aircraft program. Unlike commercial jet engines, which may be used to power multiple different aircraft programs, military-grade jet engines are typically designed for a specific fighter jet and are not often applied to multiple programs (with some exceptions). Without robust engines capable of supporting them, fighter jets would likely be in a far weaker position to perform their all-important missions, and an optimal engine is a key element of any fighter development program. Defense contractors are well aware of this, and this is why most have long-standing relationships with manufacturers. RTX, a company formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, even went so far as to acquire legacy engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Nonetheless, not all military engine programs are built the same, and some go on to be far more successful than others. Let's take a deeper look at five of the most important engines that power US fighter jets today. 1 Pratt & Whitney F135 Primary application: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Category: Pratt & Whitney F135 Specification: Dry weight: 6,422 pounds Bypass ratio: 0.57:1 Maximum thrust: 43,000 foot pounds The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan engine designed exclusively for the F-35, America's next-generation multirole strike fighter. The engine has two variants, one which is equipped for the Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) F-35A variants used by the United States Air Force (USAD) and Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) F-35C variants that land on the decks of the United States Navy's aircraft carriers. A separate variant of the engine features a two-cycle configuration for the Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) F-35B which is used by the United States Marines . This engine includes a forward lift fan, according to the manufacturer , and the first production variants were delivered to Lockheed Martin in 2009. The F135 beat out a competing engine, the F136, which was manufactured by both Rolls-Royce and General Electric, in a bid to power the next-generation fighter. 2 Pratt & Whitney F119 Primary application: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Category: Pratt & Whitney F119 Specification: Dry weight: 5,000 pounds Bypass ratio: 0.30:1 Maximum thrust: 35,000 foot pounds The Pratt & Whitney F119 is an afterburning turbofan engine, two of which are used to power the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, one of the most advanced and capable fighters ever built. The engine was designed to allow for supercruise, sustained supersonic flight without the use of afterburners . The engine's nozzles incorporated thrust vectoring technology, allowing the engine's thrust to be developed in a 20-degree spread relative to the pitch access, giving the aircraft exceptional maneuverability. The F-119 would be one of the key inspirations for the F-135, the engine that would incorporate many of its predecessor's design elements to power the F-35 Lightning II. 3 General Electric F110 Primary applications: Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Category: General Electric F110 Specification: Dry weight: 3,830 pounds Bypass ratio: 0.87:1 Maximum thrust: 16,600 foot pounds The General Electric 110, an afterburning turbofan built by American manufacturer GE Aerospace, is one of the most widely used engines by fighter jets in the United States Air Force today. The engine was derived from the earlier General Electric F101 as an alternative powerplant for the F-14 and F-16, competing with the rival Pratt & Whitney F100. The aircraft would eventually be used to power newer variants of the F-15 Eagle and has been licensed for application to many foreign aircraft programs. The F118, a conventional non-afterburning variant of the engine, powers some variants of the Lockheed U-2 spy plane and also serves as the primary engine for the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Dreamliner customers have a choice of either Rolls-Royce or General Electric engines. 4 General Electric F404 Primary applications: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Northrop F-20 Tigershark, Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Category: General Electric F404 Dry weight: 2,282 pounds Bypass ratio: 0.34:1 Maximum thrust: 17,700 foot pounds The General Electric F404 is an afterburning turbofan engine that was designed by the American manufacturer for use on the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, although the engine has been used on several other different aircraft. Several variants were built, including the F414, a larger engine that powered the F/A-18 Super Hornet, as well as the experimental GE36 propfan engine , according to the National Air and Space Museum . The US Navy has over 800 active F/A-18 aircraft in its fleet. 5 Rolls-Royce F402 Pegasus Primary application: McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Category: Rolls-Royce F402 Pegasus: Dry weight: 3,960 pounds Bypass ratio: 1.2:1 Maximum thrust: 23,800 foot pounds Another engine capable of directing thrust downwards, the Rolls-Royce Pegasus is a British turbofan engine designed originally by manufacturer Bristol Siddeley and later by Rolls-Royce. The engine's impressive capabilities have made it the key powerplant for the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier , a vertical takeoff jet used by the United States Marine Corps. According to Purdue University's Department of Engineering , the engine has no computerized system for thrust vectoring, making it notoriously difficult to fly .

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey , U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Actor Art Evans, Known for ‘A Soldier’s Story,’ ‘Die Hard 2,’ Dies at 82

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating new ways for energy providers and cities to manage energy and water, announced today a collaboration with Xcel Energy to manage the growing number of distributed energy resources (DERs) in Colorado, including residential battery energy storage, to support grid flexibility and customer choice. As part of this collaboration, Xcel Energy has contracted with Itron to deploy an Aggregator Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) from Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio to help manage DERs. On average, 25% of all U.S. homes with solar PV also have battery energy storage. As consumer adoption of battery energy storage continues to grow, energy providers can use Aggregator DERMS to enlist consumer-owned residential battery storage at the edge of the grid as a resource to support the grid. Residential batteries, and other DERs, can help optimize grid operations, promoting greater system reliability, lower energy costs and increased customer choice to adopt solar generation and electric vehicles. Aggregator DERMS enables both aggregated management of DERs for tasks such as load balancing and demand response as well as localized management of DERs for managing solar panels, EV chargers and smart thermostats. Itron’s Aggregator DERMS allows Xcel Energy to use residential battery storage through its Renewable Battery Connect program to manage peak loads and to support reliable electric service to customers. “As we lead the clean energy transition, Xcel Energy continues to make strides to deliver energy to our customers when and where they need it. Using our Virtual Power Plant program - Renewable Battery Connect, we can manage distributed energy resources to help our energy grid meet unprecedented increases in demand from a more electrified economy,” said Emmett Romine, VP Customer Energy & Transportation Solutions at Xcel Energy. “We’re delivering clean, reliable and resilient electricity to customers while keeping bills low, and we’re always looking for opportunities to use new technologies to benefit our customers.” “Xcel Energy is an innovator in adopting and deploying systems that are ready for the increase in DERs. Our solution turns these customer-owned devices into grid assets, which is crucial for an electrified future,” said Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes at Itron. “Itron’s Aggregator DERMS can lay the foundation for autonomous management of DERs, when used with distributed intelligence, to provide real-time visibility into the grid edge. This broader solution uses back-office analytics combined with DI edge computing that operates on a customer’s Itron electric meter directly. DI can connect to, and coordinate with the customer’s DER, such as battery storage, to continuously take advantage of stored energy in near real-time to protect customer and grid assets autonomously, which is an industry first.” “Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio currently manages 3 million DER devices for 30 utilities across the U.S. and helps solve the challenges of tomorrow by leveraging the power of grid edge intelligence. I look forward to our continued collaboration with Xcel Energy and supporting a grid that’s ready for the future of DERs.” To learn more about Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, visit the solution page . About Itron Itron is a proven global leader in energy, water, smart city, IIoT and intelligent infrastructure services. For utilities, cities and society, we build innovative systems, create new efficiencies, connect communities, encourage conservation and increase resourcefulness. By safeguarding our invaluable natural resources today and tomorrow, we improve the quality of life for people around the world. Join us: www.itron.com . Itron ® and the Itron Logo are trademarks of Itron, Inc in the United States and other countries and regions. All third-party trademarks are property of their respective owners and any usage herein does not suggest or imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated. For additional information, contact: Itron, Inc. Alison Mallahan Senior Manager, Corporate Communications 509-891-3802 PR@Itron.com Paul Vincent Vice President, Investor Relations 512-560-1172 Investors@itron.com Itron, Inc. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/itroninc X: www.x.com/itroninc Newsroom: https://itron.com/newsroom Blog: https://itron.com/blog

Stocks, Bonds Rise as Traders Embrace Bessent: Markets Wrap - Bloomberg

Florida State continues torrid star with rout of UMass( MENAFN - Newsfile Corp) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 24, 2024) - SuperBuzz Inc. (TSXV: SPZ) (" SuperBuzz " or the " Company "), is pleased to announce that, further to its press release of November 26, 2024, it has closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement financing of special warrants of the Company (each, a " Special Warrant") at a price of $0.16 per Special Warrant for gross proceeds of up to $750,000 (the " Offering "). Pursuant to the first tranche of the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,800,000 Special Warrants for gross proceeds of $448,000. Each Special Warrant shall be automatically exchanged for units of the Company (each, a " Unit ") upon satisfaction of the following conditions: (i) receipt of shareholder approval with respect to the Consolidation (as defined below); (ii) completion of the Consolidation; and (iii) receipt of all corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (" TSXV "), for the Offering and the Consolidation (collectively, the " Exercise Conditions "). Each Unit issued upon satisfaction of the Exercise Conditions shall consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a " Common Share ") and one Common Share purchase warrant of the Company (each, a " Warrant "). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share for a period of 24 months from the initial closing date of the Offering (the " Closing Date ") at the following exercise prices: (i) $0.22 per Common Share if exercised within the first 12 months from the Closing Date; and (ii) $0.28 per Common Share if exercised during the subsequent 12-month period. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to satisfy the Exercise Conditions on or before the date that is six (6) months following the Closing Date (the " Special Warrant Expiry Time "). In the event that the Exercise Conditions are not satisfied on or before the Special Warrant Expiry Time, the Special Warrants shall be automatically exchanged for promissory notes of the Company (the " Notes "), in the principal amount that is equal to each subscriber's subscription amount. The Notes shall be immediately payable and shall accrue interest at a rate of 18% per annum, calculated on a daily basis. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for marketing and advertising the Company's core platform to potential end customers, sales initiatives, working capital and for general corporate purposes. As previously announced, the Company intends to consolidate (the " Consolidation ") its issued and outstanding Common Shares on the basis of four (4) pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share. The Company's shareholders approved the Consolidation at the Company's annual general and special meeting held on December 10, 2024. The completion of the Consolidation remains subject to receipt of all necessary approvals, including shareholder approval and the approval of the TSXV. Additionally, the Company announces that it has entered into a debt conversion agreement (the " Debt Conversion Agreement ") with Yoel Yogev, to settle an aggregate of $150,000 (the " Debt ") of debt. Pursuant to the Debt Conversion Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue, and the Creditor has agreed to accept, an aggregate of 937,500 post-Consolidation Common Shares (the " Debt Shares ") in full and final settlement of the Debt, with such Debt Shares being issued at a deemed issue price of 0.16 per Debt Share. The transactions contemplated by the Debt Conversion Agreement constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transaction (" MI 61-101 ") because Mr. Yogev is a director of the Company. The Company is relying on exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the Debt Shares does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Offering and the Debt Settlement remains subject to the Company obtaining all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (" TSXV "). All securities issued in connection with the Offering and the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation in Canada. None of the securities issued in the Offering or the Debt Settlement will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " 1933 Act "), and none of them may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state where such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Company also announces that it has entered into an amending agreement (the " Amending Agreement ") with Yoel Yogev, amending certain terms of the consulting agreement dated July 2, 2024, between the Company and Mr. Yogev. Pursuant to the Amending Agreement, Mr. Yogev will receive compensation in the amount of $25,000, on an annual basis (reduced from $10,000 monthly), and will be granted restricted stock units (" RSUs ") of the Company convertible into $25,000 of post-Consolidation Common Shares, calculated based on the Market Price (as defined in TSXV Policy 1.1 - Interpretation) at the time of grant. The RSUs shall vest in accordance with the Company's standard vesting schedule and shall be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the RSU award agreement. About SuperBuzz Inc. SuperBuzz is revolutionizing how people interact with technology. Its AI platform leverages GPT-3 to automate many processes, including push notifications and content creation. The platform simplifies the user experience, allowing for advanced digital interaction that cuts back on manual tasks. Moreover, SuperBuzz's AI platform intelligently responds to small and medium-sized businesses' unique needs, making it an incredibly reliable and powerful tool for various applications. Additional information in respect of the Company's business is available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at . For Additional Information, Contact: Liran Brenner Chief Executive Officer Email: ... Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-Looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the Company's business objectives and milestones and the anticipated timing of, and costs in connection with, the execution or achievement of such objectives and milestones; the Company's future growth prospects; the development of the Company's business and future activities following the date hereof; expectations relating to market size and anticipated growth in the jurisdictions within which the Company may from time to time operate or contemplate future operations; expectations with respect to economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the industry generally; the competitive landscape within which the Company operates and the Company's market share or reach; the performance of the Company's business and the operations and activities of the Company; the Company's ability to obtain, maintain, and renew or extend, applicable authorizations, including the timing and impact of the receipt thereof; the Company's continued work on its product offerings, including the use of OpenAI's GPT-3 model; the Company's Offering, including the pricing of its Special Warrants and Units (including the underlying Common Shares, and Warrants), the anticipated closing date and anticipated use of proceeds, obtaining of all necessary approvals required to close the Offering, the Company's ability to satisfy the Exercise Conditions, the completion of the Consolidation (including the receipt of shareholder approval at the Meeting), the completion of the debt settlement pursuant to the Debt Conversion Agreement (including receipt of the TSXV's approval with respect to the issuance of the Debt Shares), the TSXV's acceptance of the Consolidation. Forward-Looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events; there will continue to be a demand, and market opportunity, for the Company's product offerings; current and future economic conditions will neither affect the business and operations of the Company nor the Company's ability to capitalize on anticipated business opportunities; current and future members of management will abide by the Company's business objectives and strategies from time to time established by the Company; the Company will retain and supplement its board of directors and management, or otherwise engage consultants and advisors having knowledge of the industries (or segments thereof) within which the Company may from time to time participate; the Company will have sufficient working capital and the ability to obtain the financing required in order to develop and continue its business and operations; the Company will continue to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled consultants and/or employees, as the case may be; taxes and all other applicable matters in the jurisdictions in which the Company conducts business and any other jurisdiction in which the Company may conduct business in the future; the Company will be able to generate cash flow from operations, including, where applicable, distribution and sale of its products; the Company will be able to execute on its business strategy as anticipated; the Company will be able to meet the requirements necessary to obtain and/or maintain authorizations required to conduct the business; the Company's continuing ability to meet the requirements necessary to remain listed on the TSXV; general economic, financial, market, regulatory, and political conditions will not negatively affect the Company or its business; the Company will be able to successfully compete in the industry; prices offered by competitors will not decline materially; the Company will be able to effectively manage anticipated and unanticipated costs; the Company will be able to conduct its operations in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the Company's ability to continue to work on its product offerings, including the use of OpenAI's GPT-3 model; the Company's ability to effect the Consolidation, the Company's ability to close the Offering and allocate the anticipated proceeds from the Offering as stated, the Company's ability to receive the TSXV's approval with respect to the issuance of the Debt Shares, and obtain of all necessary approvals required to complete the Consolidation and to close the Offering. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the risks associated with the industry in general; the inability of the Company to obtain requisite approvals; the Company's inability to attract and retain qualified members of management to grow the Company's business and its operations; the Company's inability to effectively manage unanticipated costs and expenses, including costs and expenses; the risk's associated with the Company's in meeting its business objectives and milestones and the anticipated timing of, and costs in connection with, the execution or achievement of such objectives and milestones; the inability of the Company to identify and secure future growth prospects; the Company's inability to develop its business and future activities following the date hereof; the Company's inability to meet or exceed expectations relating to market size and anticipated growth in the jurisdictions within which the Company may from time to time operate or contemplate future operations; the Company's inability to meet or exceed expectations with respect to economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the industry generally; the risks associated with the market for the Company's current and proposed product offerings, as well as the Company's inability to capture market share; the risks associated with the distribution methods expected to be used by the Company to deliver its product offerings; the effect of the Consolidation on the Company's securities; the Company's inability to obtain, maintain, and renew or extend, applicable authorizations, including the timing and impact of the receipt thereof; the Company's inability to continue to work on its product offerings, including the use of OpenAI's GPT-3 model; the Company's inability to satisfy the Exercise Conditions, the Company's inability to close the Offering and allocate the anticipated proceeds from the Offering as stated, and obtain of all necessary approvals required to complete the Consolidation, the Offering and the transactions contemplated by the Debt Conversion Agreement. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-Looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit SOURCE: SuperBuzz Inc. MENAFN24122024004218003983ID1109028498 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Academic triumph in Futa: How graduate overcome his financial hardships to bag first-class honors in Physics EnergyCanada wrapped up a perfect pre-tournament Monday night in Ottawa, earning a 3-2 win over Czechia. Three London Knights are on the roster, including Easton Cowan, who scored a hat-trick in Canada’s first exhibition game. Defenseman Oliver Bonk also found the back of the net during the pre-tournament games. He’s from the Ottawa area, born there when his father Radek Bonk played for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. “I used to go watch the games all the time,” Oliver Bonk said. “It’s definitely exciting to go to the Canadian Tire Centre. It’s like 10 minutes away from our house.” Defenseman Sam Dickinson rounds out the Knights’ Canadian contingent, while forward Jeff Luchanko is from London. Canada’s first game of the tournament is Thursday night against Finland. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. 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Premiers urge Trudeau to extend deadline for charitable donations after postal strike Canada’s premiers are calling on the federal government to extend the deadline for claiming charitable donations on tax returns through to the end of February. Police seek six suspects after Markham financial institution and customers robbed at gunpoint The York Regional Police (YRP) Hold-Up Unit is on the hunt for six suspects who robbed a financial institution and its customers at gunpoint in Markham on Monday. Montreal Snowfall means a white Christmas, but also traffic woes across southern Quebec roads A heavy snowfall has guaranteed much of Quebec a white Christmas, but it has also sent cars skidding off the province's roads during the busy holiday travel period. As governments try to solve housing crisis, modular homes emerge as potential solution With all three levels of governments looking to find ways to build more housing and faster, one Quebec builder says it has the solution. Quebec doing better job at retaining immigrants, Atlantic Canada still struggling Immigrants are increasingly choosing to stay in Quebec, according to a new report from Statistics Canada, but the same isn't true in the Atlantic region, which continues to lose newcomers to the rest of the country. Atlantic Two deaths in Truro ruled homicides: RCMP Police in Nova Scotia are investigating after two deaths in Truro, N.S., over the weekend have been ruled homicides. Snow forecast through Christmas Eve for parts of the Maritimes Parts of the Maritimes that were hit by a weekend snowstorm are in for more of the white stuff this Christmas Eve. 'Can I taste it?': Rare $55,000 bottle of spirits for sale in Moncton, N.B. A rare bottle of Scotch whisky is for sale in downtown Moncton, N.B., with a price tag reading $55,000. Winnipeg One person dead, another injured following Monday night house fire One person has died and another is in unstable condition following a house fire Monday evening. Winnipeg police investigating string of packages being stolen The Winnipeg Police Service is investigating a string of package thefts in the Transcona area. ‘Choosing your own adventure’: Winnipeg’s Select Start readies Exchange District for brand new ‘barcade’ experience A new ‘barcade’ in the heart of the Exchange District is hoping to be a successful launch title for a new generation of players. Calgary Three sent to hospital after Glenmore Trail crash Calgary police shut down Glenmore Trail overnight following a crash between a car and a crane truck. Person in critical condition after downtown Calgary fire A person was sent to hospital in life-threatening condition after a fire in downtown Calgary on Tuesday morning. Skier seriously injured in avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C. A skier was seriously injured after an avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C., over the weekend. Edmonton Edmonton apartment building boarded up after evacuation order from the city An Edmonton apartment building that was evacuated for safety reasons on Monday now sits boarded up. 1 charged after van stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday One person has been arrested after a van was stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday. Homelessness, rising property taxes major matters for Edmonton's mayor in 2024 Amarjeet Sohi looked back on the calendar year that's soon coming to a close with CTV News Edmonton, detailing recent challenges he and city council faced – typical year-end matters such as property taxes and finances – plus ongoing questions and efforts surrounding homelessness. Regina Sask. RCMP still searching for man suspected of small-town break-ins spanning years A man suspected of breaking into offices and small businesses across Saskatchewan over the past number of years has struck again – according to RCMP. 'A nice way to connect': Christmas card exchange between Sask. friends spans 60 years What started out as a little holiday fun between two Regina friends has turned into a tradition that now spans six decades. A separate Ukrainian Christmas may be a thing of the past There might be more households than usual celebrating this Christmas Eve, as many Ukrainians around the world are opting to abandon the orthodox calendar. Saskatoon 'People prop the doors open': Saskatoon resident concerned as people shelter in her stairwell With the number of homeless people in Saskatoon at an unprecedented high, it’s no surprise people are looking for places to warm up. A separate Ukrainian Christmas may be a thing of the past There might be more households than usual celebrating this Christmas Eve, as many Ukrainians around the world are opting to abandon the orthodox calendar. Saskatoon-born comedian Brendan Flaherty returns to ask, 'what'd I miss?' As a Saskatoon-born comedian pursuing a career in the Six, Brendan Flaherty says he often hears the same question from friends back home. Vancouver Woman struck by vehicle dies in Burnaby, B.C. A 24-year-old woman who was struck by a vehicle last week in Burnaby, B.C., has died. Ripe avalanche conditions for parts of B.C. expected to persist this week A forecaster says ripe avalanche conditions are expected to persist across much of British Columbia for the rest of the week. BREAKING | BC Ferries cancels some Christmas Day sailings, says many others 'at risk' due to weather The stormy weather in the forecast for B.C.'s South Coast could make getting around on Christmas Day challenging for some holiday travellers. Vancouver Island Ripe avalanche conditions for parts of B.C. expected to persist this week A forecaster says ripe avalanche conditions are expected to persist across much of British Columbia for the rest of the week. Woman struck by vehicle dies in Burnaby, B.C. A 24-year-old woman who was struck by a vehicle last week in Burnaby, B.C., has died. Homicide victim identified as 36-year-old man from Langley, B.C. Homicide investigators are identifying the victim of a suspected murder last year in Langley, B.C. Stay ConnectedNORAD's Santa Tracker 2024 is now live — Watch Santa's sleigh fly

Cadiz Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend for Q4 2024 on Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock"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.

FG FT Reb IOWA (6-0) Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Stuelke 26 5-14 1-4 2-6 0 0 11 O'Grady 25 7-13 0-2 3-7 2 2 14 Affolter 25 4-6 0-0 2-8 2 0 8 Feuerbach 21 0-4 0-0 0-2 3 1 0 Olsen 30 7-15 2-4 1-8 5 1 17 Ediger 5 1-1 0-1 0-2 0 1 2 Gyamfi 5 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 Heiden 7 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 4 Guyton 2 0-0 2-2 0-0 0 0 2 Levin 5 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 2 0 Mallegni 13 0-5 6-6 1-3 1 1 6 McCabe 16 0-3 0-0 1-6 2 0 0 Stremlow 20 2-3 1-2 4-6 2 2 5 Team 0 0-0 0-0 3-3 0 0 0 Totals 200 29-69 12-21 18-53 17 11 72 Percentages: FG 42.029, FT .571.NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vito Coviello is an experienced and accomplished C-level executive, bringing a wealth of expertise in financial control and management, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, internal audit, and tax to Spartan Capital Securities. With over two decades of leadership roles at prominent financial institutions, as well as U.S. and International Government Sponsored Entities, Mr. Coviello’s systemic capital markets knowledge, coupled with technical and innovative approach make him a significant addition to the Spartan team. Mr. Coviello previously served as a Financial Services Consultant, advising firms, and providing support on financial reporting, internal controls, regulatory compliance, internal audit, and tax. His career includes notable tenures at Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Santander Investment Securities, and Fannie Mae, where he enhanced reporting, regulatory and compliance, internal controls, policy and procedures frameworks, internal audit, tax, streamlined processes, and developed cost-saving solutions. He has successfully reduced month-end close processes by implementing advanced technology solutions, designed financial reporting systems that optimized key performance indicators and achieved significant cost savings. He advised on the implementation of internal controls and regulatory reporting under SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, SOX, FICCA and PCAOB rules. Spartan Capital Securities’ Founder and CEO, John Lowry, commented: “We are very pleased that Vito Coviello has joined the Spartan team. Vito’s extensive financial leadership, deep industry expertise, and proven track record position him as an ideal addition to our Firm, especially as we continue to evolve and grow.” About Spartan Capital Securities, LLC (SCS): Spartan Capital Securities, LLC is a full-service, integrated financial services firm that provides sound investment guidance for high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Their in-depth market knowledge, calculated risk management strategy, and investment acumen have earned them a strong reputation as trusted financial advisors. Spartan Capital’s experienced investment professionals provide highly customized personal service, tailoring an asset allocation program to enable each client to meet their financial goals. Spartan Capital also offers advisory and insurance services through its affiliates, Spartan Capital Private Wealth Management, LLC and Spartan Capital Insurance Services, LLC. If you have any questions, contact: info@spartancapital.com John D. Lowry Spartan Capital Securities +1 (212) 293-0123

Senate body to review issues of Qasr-e-Naz in Karachi

FALLS VILLAGE – Authors Kurt Andersen and William Cohan didn’t hold back when talking about how the country will be negatively affected by the election of President-elect Donald Trump. The two were the guest speakers at Friday’s Salisbury Forum in a presentation titled “Following the Money: What Will Become of America.” The newly renovated auditorium at Housatonic Valley Regional High School was packed. Andersen began by stating the election was not, as many claim, a mandate for Trump, noting a 1.7% vote margin is very low. “The only mandate is that the Democrats did so much worse getting the vote out. The Republicans had no mandate but to please their leader.” The two speculated on why certain excessively wealthy people became such strong supporters of Trump, but concluded they just didn’t understand their motivation. Perhaps it was their stand on Israel, or maybe the desire to rub elbows with Elon Musk. When Andersen said so many of them know nothing about history, politics and culture and are “shockingly dumb” about such topics, Cohan said, “They get rich and think they know about everything. The X landscape allows them to do that.” Both acknowledged Trump’s constant references to “the evil media.” When asked, Cohan said Jeff Bezos’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in The Washington Post wasn’t about the practice being old-fashioned and ineffectual, but because he didn’t want to anger someone who could be the next president. “When we were growing up, newspapers took pride in their endorsements,” he said. “I don’t understand why he did that. It’s very disturbing.” Cohan sardonically said he was looking forward to seeing retribution to investigative journalists. “Don’t joke about that,” responded Andersen. With Trump in the middle of picking his cabinet members and other positions to be part of his administration, the two agreed it has become a “clown show.” Cohan said, “I like the ‘Star Wars’ bar metaphor better.” Both repeated that they cannot even begin to figure out Trump’s thinking. Andersen termed Scott Bessent, the secretary of treasury pick, “a buffoon” and Marco Rubio, named to be secretary of state, was labeled by Trump “Little Marco” and he still comes back for more. Andersen said “If you keep going lower and lower on his list of appointments and they get more insane, the ones at the top don’t look so bad.” Touching on Robert Kennedy, Jr. as being named to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Cohan said the stocks of some pharmaceutical companies are tumbling as a result. “He’s committed every felony. Trump likes him because he’s done worse things than Trump. Kennedy’s father and uncle must be rolling over in their graves.” Andersen doesn’t believe that Trump will follow through on his promise of mass deportation. He said of the 11 million undocumented, 8 million are in the workforce, holding jobs in farming, hospitality and landscaping. “He can’t risk losing all those employees,” he said. But Cohan brought up the bipartisan immigration bill that Trump, as a private citizen, was able to quash. As for the tariffs Trump proposes to install, Cohan said they could increase costs to consumers, causing inflation to spike and the economy to tank. Sounding deflated, Cohan said, “I’m tired of speculating on this guy. I don’t know if he’s capable of moderating his views. He may think of ways to repeal the 22nd Amendment, so I’m not sure this is his last rodeo. He’s the luckiest guy on earth. He’s not going to jail. He’s a masterful politician; I’ll give him that.” Contact Ruth Epstein at kcsruthe @ aol.com.Renuka Rayasam | (TNS) KFF Health News In April, just 12 weeks into her pregnancy, Kathleen Clark was standing at the receptionist window of her OB-GYN’s office when she was asked to pay $960, the total the office estimated she would owe after she delivered. Clark, 39, was shocked that she was asked to pay that amount during this second prenatal visit. Normally, patients receive the bill after insurance has paid its part, and for pregnant women that’s usually only when the pregnancy ends. It would be months before the office filed the claim with her health insurer. Clark said she felt stuck. The Cleveland, Tennessee, obstetrics practice was affiliated with a birthing center where she wanted to deliver. Plus, she and her husband had been wanting to have a baby for a long time. And Clark was emotional, because just weeks earlier her mother had died. “You’re standing there at the window, and there’s people all around, and you’re trying to be really nice,” recalled Clark, through tears. “So, I paid it.” On online baby message boards and other social media forums , pregnant women say they are being asked by their providers to pay out-of-pocket fees earlier than expected. The practice is legal, but patient advocacy groups call it unethical. Medical providers argue that asking for payment up front ensures they get compensated for their services. How frequently this happens is hard to track because it is considered a private transaction between the provider and the patient. Therefore, the payments are not recorded in insurance claims data and are not studied by researchers. Patients, medical billing experts, and patient advocates say the billing practice causes unexpected anxiety at a time of already heightened stress and financial pressure. Estimates can sometimes be higher than what a patient might ultimately owe and force people to fight for refunds if they miscarry or the amount paid was higher than the final bill. Up-front payments also create hurdles for women who may want to switch providers if they are unhappy with their care. In some cases, they may cause women to forgo prenatal care altogether, especially in places where few other maternity care options exist. It’s “holding their treatment hostage,” said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the Patient Advocate Foundation . Medical billing and women’s health experts believe OB-GYN offices adopted the practice to manage the high cost of maternity care and the way it is billed for in the U.S. When a pregnancy ends, OB-GYNs typically file a single insurance claim for routine prenatal care, labor, delivery, and, often, postpartum care. That practice of bundling all maternity care into one billing code began three decades ago, said Lisa Satterfield, senior director of health and payment policy at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . But such bundled billing has become outdated, she said. Previously, pregnant patients had been subject to copayments for each prenatal visit, which might lead them to skip crucial appointments to save money. But the Affordable Care Act now requires all commercial insurers to fully cover certain prenatal services. Plus, it’s become more common for pregnant women to switch providers, or have different providers handle prenatal care, labor, and delivery — especially in rural areas where patient transfers are common. Some providers say prepayments allow them to spread out one-time payments over the course of the pregnancy to ensure that they are compensated for the care they do provide, even if they don’t ultimately deliver the baby. “You have people who, unfortunately, are not getting paid for the work that they do,” said Pamela Boatner, who works as a midwife in a Georgia hospital. While she believes women should receive pregnancy care regardless of their ability to pay, she also understands that some providers want to make sure their bill isn’t ignored after the baby is delivered. New parents might be overloaded with hospital bills and the costs of caring for a new child, and they may lack income if a parent isn’t working, Boatner said. In the U.S., having a baby can be expensive. People who obtain health insurance through large employers pay an average of nearly $3,000 out-of-pocket for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker . In addition, many people are opting for high-deductible health insurance plans, leaving them to shoulder a larger share of the costs. Of the 100 million U.S. people with health care debt, 12% attribute at least some of it to maternity care, according to a 2022 KFF poll . Families need time to save money for the high costs of pregnancy, childbirth, and child care, especially if they lack paid maternity leave, said Joy Burkhard , CEO of the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, a Los Angeles-based policy think tank. Asking them to prepay “is another gut punch,” she said. “What if you don’t have the money? Do you put it on credit cards and hope your credit card goes through?” Calculating the final costs of childbirth depends on multiple factors, such as the timing of the pregnancy , plan benefits, and health complications, said Erin Duffy , a health policy researcher at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. The final bill for the patient is unclear until a health plan decides how much of the claim it will cover, she said. But sometimes the option to wait for the insurer is taken away. During Jamie Daw’s first pregnancy in 2020, her OB-GYN accepted her refusal to pay in advance because Daw wanted to see the final bill. But in 2023, during her second pregnancy, a private midwifery practice in New York told her that since she had a high-deductible plan, it was mandatory to pay $2,000 spread out with monthly payments. Daw, a health policy researcher at Columbia University, delivered in September 2023 and got a refund check that November for $640 to cover the difference between the estimate and the final bill. “I study health insurance,” she said. “But, as most of us know, it’s so complicated when you’re really living it.” While the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover some prenatal services, it doesn’t prohibit providers from sending their final bill to patients early. It would be a challenge politically and practically for state and federal governments to attempt to regulate the timing of the payment request, said Sabrina Corlette , a co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. Medical lobbying groups are powerful and contracts between insurers and medical providers are proprietary. Because of the legal gray area, Lacy Marshall , an insurance broker at Rapha Health and Life in Texas, advises clients to ask their insurer if they can refuse to prepay their deductible. Some insurance plans prohibit providers in their network from requiring payment up front. If the insurer says they can refuse to pay up front, Marshall said, she tells clients to get established with a practice before declining to pay, so that the provider can’t refuse treatment. Related Articles Health | Which health insurance plan may be right for you? Health | California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health | Eureka council signals support for Sempervirens relocation Health | Your cool black kitchenware could be slowly poisoning you, study says. Here’s what to do Health | Does fluoride cause cancer, IQ loss, and more? Fact-checking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims Clark said she met her insurance deductible after paying for genetic testing, extra ultrasounds, and other services out of her health care flexible spending account. Then she called her OB-GYN’s office and asked for a refund. “I got my spine back,” said Clark, who had previously worked at a health insurer and a medical office. She got an initial check for about half the $960 she originally paid. In August, Clark was sent to the hospital after her blood pressure spiked. A high-risk pregnancy specialist — not her original OB-GYN practice — delivered her son, Peter, prematurely via emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks. It was only after she resolved most of the bills from the delivery that she received the rest of her refund from the other OB-GYN practice. This final check came in October, just days after Clark brought Peter home from the hospital, and after multiple calls to the office. She said it all added stress to an already stressful period. “Why am I having to pay the price as a patient?” she said. “I’m just trying to have a baby.” ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- Republic, a leading global investment platform at the intersection of finance and technology, is thrilled to announce the appointment of James Newman as General Partner – Fund Manager & Vice President of Operations at Republic. James Newman brings two decades of expertise spanning traditional finance, venture building, investing and the cutting edge of Web3 & digital assets. His diverse background and exceptional leadership will play a pivotal role in strengthening Republic’s position as a trailblazer in the investment space. Prior to joining Republic, James has worked extensively across the Brevan Howard and Web3 ecosystem, taking on key roles in investing, business building, and operations. Originally hired at Brevan Howard, his focus was Principal Investing across Crypto, Web3, Fintech, and Frontier Technologies. James was also a founding team member of WebN Group, a renowned incubator for Fintech and Web3 innovation, where over 18 months substantial equity value was created by incubating and scaling early-stage companies such as Twinstake, TruFin, Libre, Geometry, and Soter. James further demonstrated his operational acumen during his tenure at Elwood, a Digital Asset EMS & PMS provider backed by Goldman Sachs, Dawn, Citi Bank and Barclays, where he spent six months on secondment, restructuring and scaling the company’s operational policies and procedures. With eight years of extensive involvement in Web3, James began his career with nearly fifteen years of experience in investment banking, working across multi-asset trading, derivatives, sales, and structuring at top-tier global banks. “James’s depth of experience and strategic vision make him an exceptional addition to the Republic team,” said Andrew Durgee, President of Republic. “His ability to seamlessly navigate the intersections of traditional finance, digital assets, and Web3 innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to democratize access to transformative investment opportunities. We are excited to see the impact James will have as we continue to grow and evolve.” James’s appointment underscores Republic’s commitment to leveraging unparalleled expertise to expand the horizon of investment opportunities for its global community. “I’m thrilled to join Republic during such a transformative time in the financial industry,” said James Newman. “The convergence of digital assets and traditional finance presents immense investment and operational opportunities, and I look forward to driving innovation and investment alongside this talented team.” About Republic: Headquartered in New York City, Republic is a global financial firm operating an enterprise-focused digital merchant bank and a network of multi-jurisdictional retail-focused investment platforms. Backed by Valor Equity Partners, Galaxy Interactive, Morgan Stanley, Hashed, AngelList and other leading institutions, Republic boasts a portfolio of over 1500 companies and a community of nearly 3M members from over 100 countries. More than $2 billion has been deployed through investment platforms, funds, and firms within the Republic family of companies. Republic has established operations in the US, the UK, the UAE, South Korea, and Singapore. For more information on Republic, visit www.republic.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219132421/en/ CONTACT: Media: Jasmyn Pizzimbono PR Strategy Manager Republic jasmyn@republic.com KEYWORD: NEW YORK EUROPE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY WEB3 FINANCE FINTECH BANKING DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS SOURCE: Republic Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 04:07 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219132421/en

 

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2025-01-15
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1hit Asia markets to open mixed even as Wall Street notches fresh records; investors assess Australia inflation

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Joshua Jones threw for one touchdown and ran for three as North Carolina Central wrapped up the regular season with a 52-10 win over Delaware State on Saturday. The defense also contributed a pair of touchdowns on interceptions, Eric Adams in the first quarter went 37 yards and C.J. Henry went 63 yards in the second. In all the Eagles (8-3, 4-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) had five takeaways. Jones had a pair of short scoring runs before the first defensive touchdown for a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Jones was 11-of-15 passing for 199 yards and ran for 57. J'Mari Taylor rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Sutton ran for 113 yards and a touchdown for the Hornets (1-11, 0-5), who lost their 10th straight. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25Rep. Lauren Necochea How much do Idaho women have to suffer before Republicans allow abortion care in medical emergencies and when health and fertility are threatened? This month, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador’s office gave its answer — endlessly. We must commend the courageous women who shared their stories before an Ada County judge, reliving the trauma they endured under Idaho’s draconian abortion ban. These women, plaintiffs in a lawsuit to clarify exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban, were excited about their pregnancies — until devastating medical diagnoses turned joy into agony. Jennifer Adkins shared how her fetus had a severe condition incompatible with survival and how she faced the threat of “mirror syndrome,” a life-threatening complication. Despite the risks, Idaho’s abortion ban forced her to travel out of state for care. Kayla Smith learned her fetus had fatal heart anomalies. With her own life at risk due to a history of preeclampsia, Smith had to take out a loan and travel hours to end her pregnancy humanely. These are two of the many stories that underscore the cruelty of Idaho’s laws. How did Labrador’s office treat these women, who already endured unimaginable pain? In his opening statement, the state’s lead attorney labeled their necessary medical procedures as “barbaric.” He dismissed their experiences as “hypotheticals” and trivialized their life-threatening predicaments. His contempt culminated in repeated interruptions of their tearful testimony, prompting the judge to reprimand him and assert that their “circumstances are very worthy of sympathy.” Unfortunately, Idaho’s GOP legislators did not write sympathy into the law. It prohibits abortion unless doctors and nurses can prove to a jury that the woman would have died without abortion care. Unfortunately, Idaho’s GOP legislators did not write sympathy into the law. It prohibits abortion unless doctors and nurses can prove to a jury that the woman would have died without abortion care. Clinicians — who are trained to keep us healthy — face the impossible situation of watching patients deteriorate or risk years in prison. Forcing doctors to delay care until death is imminent makes death more likely. We know of at least four women who have died because of abortion bans similar to Idaho’s. There are surely more. How many more women have to die? I’m afraid it’s a heartbreaking number. This reminds me of the swimming test used during the Salem Witch Trials. Suspected “witches” were thrown in the river. The logic was that a witch would stay afloat, but a river would accept an innocent woman, and she would sink. See the problem? To be exonerated as you’re drowning provides little assurance, just as it’s risky to be allowed abortion care only when you’re at death’s door. In Salem, there were no witches, just women. In Idaho today, there are just women who deserve medical care that keeps them healthy and preserves their fertility so they can have another chance at building the family of their dreams. Our school children deserve safe facilities. And after decades of letting buildings crumble, the Republican supermajority finally has a proposal. But there’s a catch. As I explained to my sixth-grader on our walk to school, the plan also cuts $60 million annually from the revenue stream that funds school operations. Her response summed it up well, “That sounds counterproductive.” Indeed, the bill helps repair facilities, but it’s a step backward in terms of our ability to support education. The most beneficial part of House Bill 521 would make $1 billion available over the next decade for construction, renovation, and maintenance. This could mean repairing the wing of a Pocatello high school that was gutted when faulty electrical wiring caused a fire. Additionally, the legislation adds funding to a pot created by property tax legislation last year. These dollars largely pay down existing bonds and levies, allowing the few dollars leftover to be used for current facilities needs. Analysts have not yet produced reliable numbers for how each district will be impacted, even as the bill advances. What’s clear is that the distribution is insufficient and inequitable. Valley View Elementary in Boundary County needs close to $20 million to replace an elementary school where a roof caved in, but will likely receive only a fraction of that. Last year West Ada failed to pass a $500 million bond to meet their building needs. The district might receive 40% of that amount. The bill arbitrarily caps the bond funds that districts that pre-date statehood can receive. This clearly targets Boise, the only district impacted. Boise Schools will consequently receive half the funding they would have received under equal treatment. While providing insufficient funding, the bill also makes it harder for school districts to fill the gap. Their option for doing so is through bonds and levies and the bill eliminates their option to hold these elections in August. This hit comes after Republican lawmakers nixed the March elections last year. Communities will have dwindling opportunities to pass funding measures. Also damaging is the upside-down tax package in the style Republican legislators have been passing for years. Through a reduction of the income and corporate tax rate from 5.8% to 5.695%, a family earning $80,000 annually will see $53 in savings, while a household bringing in $1,000,000 will receive $1,019. And a corporation will continue to pay a lower tax rate on its profits than the 6% sales tax Idahoans pay when they buy food, diapers, medicines, and other necessities. Idaho students deserve quality facilities, without having to swallow a bitter pill of slashed revenue for our schools’ future, inequitable investments, and lopsided tax policies. For democracy to work, elected leaders must have the freedom to act in the best interest of their constituents. This bedrock principle is now being severely undermined by Idaho’s House GOP leadership. We’re seeing historic levels of strong-arming around votes behind closed doors and harsh punishment for dissent. With the Idaho House looking more like the dysfunctional U.S. House of Representatives, there are harmful repercussions for Idahoans. At the heart of the conflict is our Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. The committee’s recent departure from our decades-old budget-setting process consolidates power in the hands of a few people. The committee co-chairs are ramming through skeletal budgets they constructed without study and input from other committee members. Skeletal budgets leave out critical investments like raises earned by educators through Idaho’s teacher career ladder, the LAUNCH scholarships propelling young Idahoans to in-demand careers, and certain transportation funds. While the co-chairs claim they will go back and plug budget holes, services are now at risk. The first House vote on a skeletal budget was a test case. The bill passed 38-31 (with all 11 Democrats opposed), showing many Republicans objected to the new budget-setting scheme. That’s when the hammer came down. The next day saw an unprecedented vote on the House Floor in support of Speaker Moyle. The motion “to retain the speaker” received unanimous “yes” votes because no one was willing to fall into the trap of expressing disloyalty publicly. The Legislative Services Office couldn’t find any other instances of such a motion in state history. Immediately after, in a private caucus, House Republicans ousted the first female majority leader because she was among those opposing the new budgeting scheme. Research turned up only one other instance of a leadership change in the middle of a session, which occurred when a Senate leader was battling cancer. By making a historic example of the majority leader, the speaker sent a chilling message about the consequences of dissent. Skeletal budgets for different agencies are now zooming across the House Floor. Almost all pass on party-line votes, signaling Republicans are under immense pressure to toe the line. This budget scheme has given Speaker Moyle the singular power to block second-round funding bills that plug budget holes. It won’t matter what the Legislature as a whole wants because he can prevent votes from even taking place. And the speaker is on the record opposing LAUNCH scholarships, Medicaid services, and other crucial investments that make life better for Idahoans. The stakes are high, and the need for a government that faithfully represents the people is more crucial than ever. Idaho Democrats will continue to vote our conscience and defend a strong, transparent democracy. Investments in public education benefit all Idahoans. Regardless of whether we have children attending school at any given moment, the advantages of strong public education resonate throughout our communities. Unfortunately, the latest effort by the out-of-state voucher lobby and a faction of Republicans to implement a school voucher scheme poses a grave threat to our already underfunded schools and the state budget. House Bill 447 would start as a $50 million proposal to siphon public tax dollars to private, religious, and even for-profit institutions with zero accountability. What is particularly concerning is that the bulk of the money has no limits on eligibility. That means a working family in rural Idaho could subsidize private school tuition for millionaires in Boise. Data in states like Iowa back this up, showing voucher programs most often serve students from well-off families already enrolled in private schools. This not only creates a new budgetary obligation but also jeopardizes public school funding in future budgets. Additionally, voucher costs have a frightening propensity to explode, absorbing larger portions of the state budget. A recent analysis of vouchers in seven states between 2008 and 2019 revealed hundreds of millions of dollars being redirected to fund vouchers at the expense of local schools, despite a rise in public school enrollment. In Arizona, where only 8% of kids receive a voucher, the program is projected to cost a staggering $950 million next year, $320 million of which is unbudgeted. Utah’s original voucher bill had a $42 million price tag. Less than a year later, vouchers are projected to cost $150 million. Vouchers are too costly on their own. They are unfathomable in the context of our limited budget and the investments we’re failing to make in our children. Idaho already ranks last in the nation for per-pupil spending. Schools are struggling to retain qualified staff and we have over $1 billion in neglected facility needs. We’re also ignoring opportunities proven to boost student success. For example, almost every other state invests in preschool because every $1 invested returns up to $16 to the economy, and kids are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Today, 47% of Idaho’s children enter kindergarten already behind according to our Idaho Reading Indicator. Preschool is just one example of a proven investment that would increase student success. Vouchers, on the other hand, cut funding available to schools without generating any new educational services. HB 447 would largely serve as a giveaway to families who need it the least. We don’t have a dime to spare, let alone $50 million for a voucher subsidy scheme. For the sake of our children, our schools, and our future, Idaho must reject vouchers. Rep. Lauren Necochea All Idahoans should agree: the safety of our children is paramount. How we decide to protect them may differ from community to community. When it comes to guns in schools, current Idaho law allows locally elected school boards to set the policies they deem appropriate. Some districts keep guns out of schools unless they are in the hands of law enforcement. Others have policies providing oversight. Unfortunately, House Bill 415 is speeding through the Legislature and would undo local decision making, local training requirements, and collaboration with local law enforcement by overriding school management of firearms in schools. Today, school districts can require ongoing active shooter drills where employees test their ability to quickly distinguish between kids and assailants or mandate participation in meetings with local law enforcement to develop safety and incident response plans. School leaders can also use criteria to revoke privileges for staff who are not well-suited to the responsibility of carrying a firearm around children. In contrast, HB 415 circumvents local control and gives blanket permission to employees and volunteers who have taken a one-time concealed carry course and shot 98 rounds. Schools must allow them to carry firearms regardless of shooting skill, temperament, mental state, visual acuity, length of time since they took a course, or other factors. A major alarm bell should be that law enforcement does not support this approach. The Idaho Association of School Resource Officers and Idaho Sheriffs’ Association both oppose HB 415. It’s no wonder since experts have maintained that it is harder for police to respond to active shooters when unknown, untrained people are also engaging. Opening the door to an untrackable number of firearms means new liability for schools. The Idaho State University professor who shot himself in the foot during class and the Utah teacher who accidentally shot herself in a school bathroom are two recent examples of the risks. At least one Idaho school district has already been notified that its insurance company will drop it if this bill is enacted. We can only imagine that costs will rise for insurance companies that continue to provide coverage. Finally, this bill subverts the rights of teachers and parents who have come out in full force against this legislation. Parents won’t be able to ask whether their child’s teacher is armed, let alone demand more rigorous training requirements. One hundred Idahoans came out in opposition during the committee hearing. Only five individuals supported the bill, including the out-of-state lobbyist who brought the legislation. Homegrown Idaho solutions and evidence-based safety measures are better than a one-size-fits-all approach from special interests. As this bill moves across the rotunda, I hope the Senate will see the wisdom in rejecting it. When I was a kid, Idaho enjoyed a fairly healthy balance of political power. Democratic Governor Cecil Andrus served alongside a Republican lieutenant governor and for one legislative term, the Idaho Senate was evenly divided. As I grew up, Idaho veered rightward. Today, new migration patterns are rapidly accelerating the trend, and an interesting paradox has emerged in Boise State University’s new polling. The finds newcomers are 11 percentage points more likely to identify as Republicans and 10 percentage points less likely to identify as Independents than Idahoans who have lived here for more than 10 years. One would expect the increasingly Republican voting population to align tightly with the Republican supermajority in power, but that is not the case. In fact, the polling shows that Idahoans overwhelmingly agree with Democrats on the major issues of our day. A majority of Idahoans oppose the abortion ban the GOP enacted. Nearly 70% of voters trust their libraries to make decisions about the content they make available, while Republican lawmakers bring bills threatening librarians with jail time and expensive lawsuits. As GOP legislators push for school vouchers, only 49% of Idahoans approve, and support drops when respondents consider the diminished school funding they will cause. For the first time in the survey’s history, more voters thought Idaho was moving in the wrong direction compared with 40% who think Idaho is on the right track. A different poll showed strong opposition to Medicaid cuts and strong support for leaving Medicaid expansion in place, while the Republican supermajority seeks to slash Medicaid and repeal Medicaid expansion. Yet another poll revealed very strong support for investing in our dilapidated school facilities, an issue Republican lawmakers have refused to act on for years. These discrepancies underscore a stark contrast between the policy preferences of regular Idahoans and the legislation pursued by the dominant political party. To long-time Republicans who have been left behind by their party, I invite you to take a closer look at Idaho Democrats. For newcomers to Idaho who voted Republican in their former states, I invite you to get to know your Idaho Democratic candidates and our local issues. And every Idahoan should read the Idaho Democratic Party platform and compare it to the Idaho Republican Party platform, which is squarely outside the mainstream. For a representative democracy to function well, voters need to stay engaged, research candidates, and provide accountability when politicians ignore their views. If you, like a majority of Idahoans, support adequate school funding and safe facilities, oppose costly voucher schemes with zero accountability, support our libraries, or want the restoration of our reproductive freedoms, a vote for Idaho Democrats is your best bet. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Budgets are moral documents” because they show our real values. Allocating our public dollars demands thoughtful, transparent deliberations. Unfortunately, recent moves by Republican legislative leaders have compromised Idaho’s process with serious consequences. The integrity of our nationally lauded budgeting process started eroding last year. GOP leaders knocked House Democrats down to just one member on the budget committee, taking away our proportional representation. This week, Republican co-chairs ushered in new procedures, beginning negotiations by cramming skeletal budgets through at the outset instead of studying funding needs first. Monday’s speed-budgeting spent about $2 billion per hour. This meant many omissions and errors, including one that nearly slashed annual teacher pay by $6,359. My Democratic colleagues rightfully voted against this careless approach. The skeletal budgets leave critical initiatives unfunded such as the LAUNCH scholarships for in-demand job training, interventions for the dangerous quagga mussels threatening our water, and upgrades to bridges that pose a safety risk. Small in scope, but still important, are items like guardian ad litem programs, which advocate for children as they navigate foster care. Budget committee leaders claim they will add funding, but they have backed Idaho into a devastating default budget. And they made it difficult to resolve harmful cuts. Once a budget is passed, rules require that two-thirds of the committee vote to reopen it, or seven of the ten members from the House and Senate. This threshold means a “no” vote counts more than twice as much as a “yes” vote. A few fringe legislators have the power to keep slash-and-burn budgets in place. What is the supermajority’s motivation? It appears to be about power. Traditionally, House leaders will hold off on approving one budget bill to prevent the Senate from adjourning, before they get something they want, and vice versa. The new process yielded a default skeletal budget to fall back on, creating a “hostage” legislative leaders may be willing to shoot, with harmful repercussions for Idahoans. Additionally, the house speaker can unilaterally hold any bill, including bills that correct budget holes. It’s reminiscent of the power House Republicans in Congress gave each member to recall Speaker McCarthy. Matt Gaetz used it to leave our nation with a non-functioning government for weeks while Republicans haggled over who would become the next speaker. These changes put undue power into the hands of a few who can manufacture budget space for their personal agenda items, such as the school voucher scheme that both budget committee chairs have endorsed. Idahoans deserve a budget that goes through a fair process and is responsive to constituents. It’s more important than ever that Idahoans speak up about their budget priorities. If we truly valued our children, we would ensure they spend their days in safe school buildings. But decades of neglect have caused Idaho schools to slide into a shameful state of disrepair. Raw sewage leaking under a cafeteria, collapsing roofs, and freezing classrooms illustrate the dire condition of school facilities across the state. Most frighteningly, a fire destroyed much of a Pocatello high school after faulty electrical wiring went unaddressed. In his State of the State address, Governor Little touted a long-overdue investment in facilities that made headlines. But when we read the fine print, we see he is largely continuing to kick the can down the road. In the coming year, as schools face over $1.3 billion in facilities needs, they would receive just $200 million. And that’s if this proposal can make its way through the Republican supermajority, which has the same terrible track record in supporting school infrastructure. In addition to increased state investment, there are two obvious policy solutions GOP lawmakers have rejected that would put schools on firmer ground. First, we must allow school districts to charge impact fees on new developments. Local governments regularly charge developers for the new roads, sewer lines, and other infrastructure that new housing developments necessitate. By making the same allowance for school infrastructure, growth can pay for itself instead of asking existing taxpayers to foot the bill. Second, we need to end the two-thirds majority requirement for passing school bonds. This has tripped up desperate school districts like Boundary where recent bonds garnered a clear majority of the vote, but fell short of the threshold. The state is letting a minority of voters deny our students safe school buildings. Even a threshold of 55% or 60% of the vote would ensure that more projects with strong public support can proceed. How we got here is a lesson Idahoans cannot afford to forget. As our schools have gone long underfunded, Little and his GOP colleagues have bragged about record budget surpluses, manufactured by the neglect of our core duties. They repeatedly doled out enormous rebates and permanent revenue cuts to the wealthiest while schools crumbled. His overdue acknowledgment of the problem is a small step towards redemption, but it’s no cause for a victory lap. For over twenty years, Little has held office in the Republican supermajority that created this crisis. Idaho Democrats have tirelessly fought for increased investments in Idaho schools while the GOP underpaid our educators and let our schools fall into disrepair. Little is right when he says we can do better. It is a shame that it took him more than two decades in public office to realize this. The Idaho State Capitol is not just a building; it’s the People’s House. Regular Idaho families don’t have lobbyists and can’t afford big campaign donations, but their interests should always be front and center. As the legislature reconvenes, Idaho Democrats are prioritizing the working families who are too often left behind. First, we are committed to thriving Main Streets with economic opportunity in towns big and small. A fundamental building block of a strong economy is education. Democrats will work to protect the new LAUNCH scholarships that are opening pathways to in-demand careers with family-sustaining wages and building the skilled workforce that industries need. We must finally address the $1 billion backlog in school facilities needs so that children aren’t contending with overcrowded classrooms, leaky roofs, or unsafe situations, such as the electrical issues that led to a severe fire in a Pocatello school. Idaho Democrats want to correct last year’s funding methodology shift that shortchanged schools by $162 million. And we will again defend against voucher schemes that divert precious public dollars away from public schools and into private, religious, and for-profit institutions with zero accountability. Second, we will be a voice for Idaho’s working families when it comes to revenue collection. Idaho’s upside down tax code gets worse every year. Today, an Idaho mom pays a higher tax rate on essentials like food and diapers than corporations pay on their profits. It’s past time we eliminate the sales tax on groceries, a move supported by 82% of Idahoans but consistently blocked by the Republican supermajority. We should have a meaningful child tax credit to help make it affordable to raise the next generation and finally establish a state earned income tax credit to avoid taxing working families into poverty. Third, we should act on the principle that affordable healthcare is a necessity. We will work to properly fund Medicaid, a lifeline for children, seniors, and Idahoans with disabilities, and to extend coverage for postpartum mothers. We’ll oppose the repeal of Medicaid expansion, which would take healthcare away from tens of thousands. What Idahoans don’t need is more extremism. Whether it comes to your most intimate medical decisions, the books you read, or who you love, it’s time for GOP politicians to stop interfering in your private life. While Democrats are underdogs in the Legislature, we stand behind an agenda that is broadly supported by voters. We hope Republican lawmakers will meet us here so that we can govern to make life better for Idahoans. To advance our shared priorities, we need the voices of Idahoans to resonate in the People’s House, demanding policies that truly reflect your values. I hope to see you there. The end of a year offers a moment to take stock of our progress to date and our vision for the future. As I reflect on the future Democrats want for Idahoans — thriving Main Streets with economic opportunity, quality education, personal freedoms, and an affordable path to raising the next generation — it’s clear that supermajority rule is holding us back. Idaho Democrats are rolling up their sleeves to repair our political system by rebuilding our party. This year, we established local Democratic committees in all 44 counties and won 73% of the 65 local races where Democrats made endorsements and deployed campaign tactics. Focused candidate recruitment has positioned us to contest more races in 2024 than we have in years. Idaho’s Democratic lawmakers are also making an impact. We delivered critical wins by blocking school vouchers, stopping a bill creating bounties on libraries, protecting Medicaid expansion, enacting scholarships for in-demand careers, creating incentives for nurses serving rural Idaho, and safeguarding voting rights. Nevertheless, many votes were too close for comfort. It’s critical we elect more Democrats to make life better for Idahoans and combat political dysfunction. I will never forget the words of a very conservative colleague who congratulated me on becoming chair of the Idaho Democratic Party. In spite of our policy disagreements, the legislator sincerely wished me luck and, motioning to the House Chamber, declared, “Because this isn’t healthy.” Indeed, when one party holds 82% of the seats, there is little accountability and compromise, which are necessary for a healthy democracy. In the absence of accountability, the extremists who once operated at the fringes of the Idaho Republican Party have taken the helm. Local party tribunals are pushing GOP politicians deeper into extremism by punishing those who stray from their platform — a platform that ranges from dangerous fringe ideas that would destabilize our financial system, like returning to gold and silver standards, to outright cruelty, like murder charges for abortion even when the patient faces certain death. In 2024, Democrats will be reaching out to voters, offering an alternative to this extreme agenda. We hope to have openhearted conversations about the central issues that unite us. Voters who get to know their local Democratic candidates will find ample common ground. Polling confirms that voters agree with Idaho Democrats on the issues that affect you daily: tax policies should be fair to regular Idahoans rather than heaping more benefits onto the wealthy and well-connected, public dollars belong in public schools, Medicaid should be strong, politicians shouldn’t interfere in our most intimate decisions, and life must be affordable for working families. As we welcome 2024, I’m hopeful Idahaoans can come together to reject GOP extremism and build the future people deserve. Access to healthcare saves lives, prevents financial ruin, and simply makes life better. I am proud that advocating for affordable coverage was a focus of my earlier career. Alongside many tireless advocates, I worked for years to expand Medicaid — closing the coverage gap for Idahoans whose wages were too low to qualify for health insurance tax credits and too high for Medicaid. Republican obstructionism in the Idaho Legislature made it a lot harder than it should have been to champion a policy that’s extremely popular among Idaho voters. The scariest setback, however, came from Congress. In 2017, Republicans took control of both chambers in Congress and the White House. As they seized power, repealing the Affordable Care Act was their top priority. Frighteningly, they had no replacement plan to prevent millions of Americans from losing coverage. As advocates in Idaho, we had to pause our work to expand healthcare access and try to block this serious attempt to take healthcare away. Months of nerve wracking negotiations culminated in Senator John McCain’s iconic and dramatic thumbs-down vote on the Senate floor. Fortunately, McCain joined two Republican U.S. Senators and every single Democrat to kill the repeal effort. Recalling this barely averted disaster makes it all the more startling to hear every Republican presidential candidate vow to repeal the ACA. Again, they have no coherent replacement. The renewed threat to working families and small business owners is staggering. ACA repeal would mean protections for up to 259,000 Idahoans with preexisting conditions would vanish, allowing insurance companies to deny coverage or hike costs for people with previous cancer diagnoses, high blood pressure, asthma, and other conditions. Medicaid expansion, which finally passed by a decisive majority of Idaho voters through an initiative, would end. Tax credits to purchase coverage, which assist 80% of individuals on the market, would disappear. Young adults would no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance. Insurance companies could again impose lifetime caps on coverage. Idahoans are already losing healthcare access, thanks to Republican politicians. From passing one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country to criminalizing doctors and nurses, Republican politicians continue attacking our freedoms and making Idaho a hostile place for providers. Idaho ranks last in the nation for physicians and hospital beds per capita and more than 70% of Idahoans live in mental health shortage areas. This year, rural hospitals in Sandpoint and Emmett announced they can no longer provide labor and delivery services. More than 9,000 healthcare jobs in Idaho remain unfilled, according to Idaho Business for Education. The ACA is a lifeline for Idahoans. Democrats will continue protecting the healthcare that is essential to the wellbeing of our families. Rep. Lauren Necochea Every Idaho child deserves an education that prepares them for career opportunities and helps them succeed. It’s a fundamental promise to our children, enshrined in our state constitution. This promise is once again under threat from a dangerous agenda that seeks to divert your tax dollars away from our public schools and into the hands of private and religious schools through voucher schemes. Last legislative session, parents, teachers, and community leaders came together to speak out against vouchers, which are deeply unpopular among Idaho voters according to a recent poll commissioned by the Idaho Education Association. Idaho held the line as other states fell to the pressure of the voucher lobby. In the House Education Committee, Democratic votes prevented legislation from advancing, but the threat remains. Proponents of vouchers spare no expense when it comes to buying our elections and pressuring legislators. These out-of-state activists with deep pockets have flooded our political landscape, running baseless attack ads against leaders who support public education, propping up the most far-right extreme candidates, and building an army of lobbyists-for-hire. In the face of defeat, the anti-public education lobby has come up with a new tactic, which is to bypass the House Education Committee that rejected vouchers. They plan to push vouchers via our tax code and force the bill through the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. But tax code vouchers bring the same problems: Huge costs to the state with zero accountability. The primary beneficiaries of tax credit vouchers would be wealthy families with kids in private schools who will enjoy a cash subsidy paid by taxpayers. Rural families are unlikely to have private school “options.” What they will see is that their public schools receive fewer resources. Across the state, middle-class families and those who work paycheck-to-paycheck won’t be able to close the gap between the voucher credit and private tuition. Other states illustrate the damaging consequences of these schemes. In Wisconsin, vouchers blew a hole in the state’s budget, forcing homeowners to shoulder a $577 million property tax hike. In Arizona, vouchers will cost the state $900 million this year while rural schools are shuttering. Between 75% and 90% of voucher users in states like Arizona, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin were already in private schools, forcing taxpayers to subsidize wealthy families. Voucher schemes also cause pandemic-sized drops in student outcomes — proving they will only hurt student success. We must speak out during the 2024 session to defeat these schemes. Idaho Democrats remain committed to ensuring that all kids have the opportunity to receive an excellent education. This can only happen within the framework of strong, well-funded public schools that are accountable to Idahoans. Together, we will protect our children and our shared future. Rep. Lauren Necochea Great schools depend on strong communities. Strong communities, in turn, require great schools. In Idaho, many education leaders are working to bolster student success with the “community school” model. The announcement of a new federal grant marks a significant stride toward expanding this proven approach across our state. Community schools recognize that students come with families — families who need to be engaged in their children’s education and who often need connections to resources to thrive. Four Boise schools first launched the national model in Idaho in 2016. Today, Idaho has 41 community schools across 25 districts. I was fortunate to see the difference firsthand at my children’s elementary school: Parents are frequently invited into the school to engage with their students’ learning, staff coordinate parent support classes, partnerships with food banks fuel in-school pantries, and coordinators connect parents to nonprofit resources when they are facing homelessness, health care needs, and other challenges. The community school approach is backed by research demonstrating better student attendance, reductions in disciplinary events, and improved achievement. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in their expansion in Idaho has been funding. We have a patchwork of haves and have-nots when we ought to ensure every child can attend a community school. This is why our new federal investment is so exciting. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s recent visit to Idaho underscores the promise of this opportunity. Idaho will receive a Full-Service Community Schools grant totalling $6.5 million annually from the Biden Administration to expand the reach of community schools. This will mean 50 additional schools implementing the model, specifically targeting rural areas and Title I schools, which have higher portions of families facing low wages. The Marsing School District has demonstrated the lifeline that community schools provide in rural Idaho. In the absence of state-funded preschool, the district established early learning programs at the local community center and partnered with neighboring districts to create a special education partnership. When the local food bank and senior center closed, the school district and community partners collaborated to create a school resource center. Marsing illustrates how community schools fill critical gaps in services, especially in regions where resources are more spread out. The success of community schools across diverse landscapes is partly why they have broad political support. They also provide a stark contrast to school vouchers, which siphon critical taxpayer dollars to private schools with no oversight or accountability. We must make smart investments in the promise of public education and offer real solutions to the unique challenges faced by students and families. Idaho Democrats will continue to support initiatives to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. Rep. Lauren Necochea How confusing is the 2024 election season in Idaho? So much so that Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Republican Party of Idaho Chair Dorothy Moon, and Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea were compelled last week to issue a joint news release to attempt to clarify the distinction between party presidential nominating caucuses, the statewide May primaries, and affiliation deadlines for voters. They only stirred around the mud, despite their best efforts. The mud is deep. How else could you explain a joint news release from Dorothy Moon and Lauren Necochea, who likely couldn’t come to agreement on the same order at a restaurant with one item on the menu? We wouldn’t have believed it if we hadn’t seen it. They’re on opposite ends of the political rope, yanking and pulling and tugging while accusing the other of attempting to spiral Idaho into an abyss. What they do appear to share, though, is the feeling that Idahoans should make plans to exercise their right to vote. Regardless of how you feel about the caucus system — and we find it to be wholly non-representative — we’re stuck with it for 2024. As one of our board members bluntly put it, ‘And that sucks.’ “As we gear up for the May 23rd caucus, we want to ensure every eligible voter’s voice is heard,” Necochea said in the release. “We encourage all residents to engage in the process by taking part in this important event.” Added Moon, “We encourage all eligible voters who wish to have a voice in the party caucus to ensure their party affiliation is up to date by the December 31st deadline.” And then there’s McGrane, who narrowly defeated Moon in the 2022 election for Secretary of State, urging Gem State voters to take part in the May 21 primary, which will include party races for state legislators and county sheriffs, commissioners and prosecutors. “The primary election is a crucial step in shaping the future of our state,” McGrane said in the release. “We want to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate, so it’s essential to be aware of the party affiliation deadlines.” The deadline to change affiliation for the primary is March 15, though unaffiliated and newly registered voters may affiliate up to and including Election Day. But, if you want to have a say in the GOP presidential nominating caucus on March 2, you must affiliate by Dec. 31 — but that’s a Sunday, so plan accordingly. To take part in the Democrats’ caucus, you must be a registered Democrat or unaffiliated voter and affirm that you have not participated in any other 2024 presidential nominating contest. The nearly 500-word news release concludes: “Idaho political parties are required to communicate with the Secretary of State’s office through written correspondence to identify the voters eligible to participate in the May 21st primary election by November 30th.” Clear as mud, right? Let’s try to clear it up, because Moon and Necochea are right: We must vote in 2024, and likely as if the future of our democracy depends on it. The Republican presidential nominating caucus is March 2, the Democratic presidential nominating caucus is May 23, the statewide primary is May 21, and the general election is Nov. 5. It’s Dec. 31 to participate in the Republican presidential nominating caucus, March 15 (to change party affiliation) or May 21 (to affiliate with a party if unaffiliated) to participate in the statewide primary, and May 23 to participate in the Democratic presidential nominating caucus. Go online: VoteIdaho.gov , IdahoGOP.org , and IdahoDems.org . Regardless of how you feel about the caucus system — and we find it to be wholly non-representative — we’re stuck with it for 2024. As one of our board members bluntly put it, “And that sucks.” But, Idaho will caucus. So, stomp the mud off your boots and make plans to have your say next year. The future of our state is in your hands. Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you don’t miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Don’t have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store . Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Similarly, when politicians vow to take away your freedoms, take them at their word. Among many extreme positions in the Idaho Republican Party platform is the criminalization of any abortion, even to save a patient’s life. We should therefore be unsurprised that Republican lawmakers are doubling down on their extreme, anti-abortion agenda. Recently, Republican AG Raúl Labrador and Idaho’s Republican legislative leaders teamed up with out-of-state activists to file a frightening legal appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their goal is to reverse a small court-ordered reprieve for abortion care in medical emergencies. Idaho’s abortion ban has no allowance for patients facing health risks from carrying a pregnancy. Risk of permanent disability or fertility loss and even conditions that eventually cause death are not valid exceptions. This means physicians may have to prove in court, under threat of a lengthy prison sentence and loss of their medical license, that they performed an abortion to avert imminent death. Simply preserving the patient’s health is not acceptable. The U.S. Department of Justice successfully argued in court that this ban violates federal law enacted by President Ronald Reagan. The law requires hospitals with emergency departments to provide stabilizing treatment to anyone who seeks care. An Idaho judge agreed, ruling that pregnant women and those experiencing pregnancy loss deserve access to the full rights and protections of emergency medical care. How did Republican legislative leaders respond to this lifeline for patients and doctors? They immediately appealed the ruling. Now, they are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the prosecution and imprisonment of doctors and nurses who perform emergency abortions while the appeal works through the legal system. I know most Idahoans want to make their intimate medical decisions with their families and doctors — not have them dictated politicians. But the new Idaho Republican Party continues to prove it is light years away from what voters believe. This assault on your freedoms isn’t coming from a few far-right fringe legislators. The ban was deliberately written without health exceptions and approved by nearly every Republican legislator. In fact, a few Republicans voted in opposition because they didn’t think the bill went far enough. We should not be surprised that this new brand of Idaho Republican politician is sticking to the script. But we should be very alarmed by their extreme ideology and the lengths to which they will go. This is not the representation that Idahoans want. Patients’ lives and our ability to keep doctors in Idaho make it urgent that we vote them out. Rep. Lauren Necochea With the holiday season upon us, I’m reminded of the ways in which we care for one another. One of the best ways we do this as Idahoans is through Medicaid. It provides necessary care for our children, pregnant Idahoans, seniors who need nursing home care, and both adults and children with disabilities. Medicaid delivers developmental screenings to our kids, substance use disorder treatment, cancer care, and much more. And it demonstrates a fundamental belief we share: We never want Idahoans to go without health care due to an inability to pay. Idaho voters continue to express strong support for Medicaid. They passed Medicaid expansion in 2018 with 61% in favor and the policy has only become more popular. Recent polling commissioned by Idaho Voices for Children shows that 73% of voters favor keeping Medicaid expansion. Additionally, voters resoundingly oppose cuts to Medicaid services. Unfortunately, Idaho’s Republican supermajority isn’t getting the message. They have made repeated attempts to roll back Medicaid expansion and take coverage away from Idahoans, chronically underfunded Medicaid services, and threatened to make cuts to a critical lifeline. Today’s direct care worker crisis illustrates what happens when budget setters starve a crucial service. Direct care workers help seniors and individuals with disabilities with daily tasks, like eating and dressing themselves. This support allows Idahoans to live independently in their homes and is typically funded through Medicaid. But a new report from the Office of Performance Evaluation reveals that this workforce faces a 3,000-person shortage and workers can earn 36-39% higher wages in other industries. Idahoans requiring this assistance can be forced into the more costly and less desirable option of moving into an institution when there are no direct care workers available. There are clear steps the Idaho Legislature must take to protect Idahoans who rely on Medicaid. First, we must bolster reimbursement for Medicaid services, especially direct care workers so that Idahoans can live as independently as possible. We should also reject proposals that cut Medicaid services. Second, we need to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to mothers for one year after birth. This is a key recommendation that Idaho’s Maternal Mortality Review Board made after studying how we can best prevent maternal deaths in our state Third, we must reject attempts to dismantle Medicaid expansion. Too many Republican politicians prioritize their anti-government ideology over people’s needs. And while some lawmakers do not believe that the public sector should solve problems and help Idahoans access health care, voters clearly do. Voters want to ensure a strong Medicaid program is there when they, their loved ones, and their neighbors need it. Idaho Democrats will continue working to protect and strengthen Medicaid to keep all Idahoans healthy. Rep. Lauren Necochea From the Idaho Transportation Department: The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was established as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – also called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This program invests federal funding into states to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging stations, using primarily American-made materials and certified EVITP contractors. We rely on infrastructure to power and connect our daily lives. This includes the roads we drive on, our water delivery systems, and broadband access that links us to information and commerce. Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure. This landmark legislation is rebuilding long-neglected public structures and creating good jobs with family-sustaining wages along the way. In Idaho, $2.5 billion in funding has been announced, with over 252 specific projects identified. The investment covers $1.6 billion for roads, bridges, public transit, and airports, $210 million for water projects, and $583 million to ensure rural Idahoans can access reliable high-speed internet. In fact, more than 49,000 Idaho households are already saving on their internet bill. The impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is best demonstrated by the projects underway across Idaho. The North Portneuf Crossing project will enhance traffic safety and improve traffic flow while making the road safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Meanwhile, the Genesee and McCall-Donnelly Districts were awarded funds to purchase electric school buses. Children will no longer have to breathe diesel fumes at the bus stop, schools will see big savings in fuel costs, and entire communities will benefit from fewer emissions. The St. Maries School District will make energy-efficient building upgrades to create healthier learning environments. As wildfires continue to threaten lives and property, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supports prevention and community resilience. These include the Clark County Roadside Fuel Breaks project to bolster wildfire protection for communities in Dubois, Kilgore, Spencer, and Medicine Lodge and funding to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, sustain industry, and protect recreation across the Boise and Payette National Forests. A $4 million effort to line the Treasure Valley’s New York Canal will more efficiently deliver water to farms and residents. And the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, a critical gateway for Eastern Idaho, received $5 million to upgrade its terminal. Local leaders are celebrating this progress because they have seen dire needs go unmet for too long. It’s also good news for our economy. The International Monetary Fund estimates that every $1 invested in infrastructure yields $1.40 in new economic activity. As we celebrate a transformative legislative accomplishment, we should remember it passed despite Republican obstructionism. Idaho’s congressmen, Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, both voted in opposition. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t be surprised to see them at ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the popular projects the law is making possible. While some Republican politicians try to roll back historic progress and heap more tax benefits on those who need them the least, Democrats will continue investing in the middle class and the infrastructure that sustains us all. Rep. Lauren Necochea Democrats had plenty of good news to celebrate in Tuesday’s off-year elections and more evidence that they can win races centered on the national debate over abortion. As Sen. Raphael Warnock says, “A vote is a prayer about the kind of world we want to live in.” Indeed, every election allows citizens to act on their hope for our shared future. With far-right extremists getting louder, more numerous, and more brazen in Idaho and Congress, many are deeply worried about the future. Today’s Republican Party seeks to divide us based on our differences, puts profits over people, erodes our public institutions, and takes away our freedoms. Nevertheless, Tuesday’s election filled me with hope as voters shifted toward leaders who will build communities where we take care of each other. In Virginia, Democrats exceeded expectations, retaining control of the Senate and flipping the state House. This victory thwarted Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plans to pass an abortion ban. In Ohio, voters amended the state constitution to guarantee the right to make personal decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion. Even in deep-red Kentucky, voters reelected Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Here in Idaho, Democratic values prevailed in encouraging ways. In Boise, Mayor Lauren McLean, who focused on home affordability, secured another term. Hayden Paulsen, a 29-year-old newly elected to Pocatello City Council, returned to his hometown driven by a belief that Idahoans shouldn’t have to leave their community to find economic opportunity. Education champions triumphed in school board elections in Caldwell, McCall-Donnelly, Blaine County, Teton County, and Moscow over far-right ideologues who seek to ban books, police curriculum, and privatize our public schools. In the 45 races where local Democrats endorsed nonpartisan candidates based on shared values — not necessarily party affiliation — 73% won. Meanwhile, voters are starting to realize that Republican endorsements often signal the most extreme, far-right candidate in a race. Coeur d’Alene City Council incumbents beat back far-right challengers endorsed by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. A Twin Falls City Council incumbent beat out a Twin Falls Republican Party official. We can take a moment to celebrate, then turn to the work ahead. In 2024, all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature will be up for election. Idaho Democrats are committed to having a Democrat on the ballot in every legislative district and will continue to work hard to deliver leaders who better represent the people of Idaho. You can join us. Together, we can deliver on the issues that matter most to Idahoans — safeguarding our freedoms, ensuring quality education, and fostering opportunity in every corner of our state. It won’t happen magically but through the grit of candidates and volunteers who meet voters at their doors to show that Idahoans deserve better and that doing better is possible. Let’s carry this momentum forward and continue building a brighter future for Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea Democracy is at its best when consensus candidates prevail. In this ideal world, officeholders have broad support from their constituents and work to strengthen the institutions under their purview. Library board commissioners seek to make library services better and more accessible. Municipal leaders are dedicated to building vibrant cities and delivering public safety and other services reliably. School board trustees believe in providing quality public schools in every child’s neighborhood with qualified teachers and proven administrators. However, Idaho is seeing a disturbing trend, leading us away from this ideal. Extremist candidates with radical agendas are gaining power, often damaging the very institutions they are meant to safeguard. On Tuesday, voters must be vigilant and reject extremism as we decide who will lead our school boards and communities. The West Bonner School District is a cautionary tale , illustrating the stakes and the ease with which extremism can take hold. In 2021, far-right candidates, Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown were elected as trustees. They had extremely narrow margins of victory in a low-turnout election. Overall, only a few hundred votes were cast, just a fraction of eligible voters. It is understandable that local elections can be overlooked due to the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. Nevertheless, as we have seen in West Bonner, the consequences of sitting on the sidelines can be profound. Brown and Rutledge, along with a third trustee, hired an unqualified, inexperienced ideologue who supports school vouchers to serve as the school superintendent. The embattled superintendent ignored input from the public, made unpopular decisions, and alienated educators. He also demanded an expensive package of perks and benefits — including free legal assistance for his spouse and a car — all while calling for deep cuts to educational service investments. Ultimately, the dysfunction united the community, which successfully recalled the two trustees. But undoing the damage was a difficult task, involving gathering signatures to secure a recall election, raising funds, and pouring volunteer hours into running recall campaigns. Even after voters decisively ousted Rutledge and Brown, court orders, criminal investigations, and obstruction ensued before the superintendent finally resigned. Idaho voters can prevent disasters like this one on Tuesday. Important races will take place across the state and many could be decided by a handful of votes. Doing our research before we enter the voting booth gives us the best chance of supporting candidates who will faithfully strengthen public education, maintain community safety, and support thriving Main Streets. Your vote in local elections is critical to protect what your community has built and make necessary progress. On Tuesday, let’s elect Idahoans who prioritize the public good and the betterment of the state we call home. Rep. Lauren Necochea The best part of my day is when I walk my kids to school. We spend this quality time connecting, while the exercise helps us wake up and get focused for the day ahead. Along the way, we benefit from sidewalks, stoplights, and crosswalks that make our journey safer. It’s less stressful than navigating traffic in a car and my kids can do it alone if my husband and I are unavailable. Every child deserves a safe route to school. And parents across Idaho should feel confident sending their children out the door. Unfortunately, we’re moving in the wrong direction as a nation. In 1969, 42% of children ages 5 to 14 walked to school. By 2009 that number was down to 13%. This trend means a lost opportunity for kids to get exercise and gain independence. It also means more cars on the road, with the related increases in traffic and air pollution. A report card from the Safe Routes Partnership shows that Idaho, in particular, has a lot of work to do to keep our kids safe. That work was highlighted last week when I attended the 2023 Transportation Policy Conference put on by the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance. The conference covered the need to improve bike and pedestrian safety. I attended because I want every family to be able to walk and bike safely and because the stakes could not be higher. Reading recent headlines, I’m heartbroken by the spike in pedestrian and bike fatalities, including child deaths. On average, 445 Idahoans are involved in motor vehicle crashes per year while walking or biking. Between 2017 and 2021, 25% of these crashes resulted in serious injury or death. People traveling in vehicles are facing increasing risks. During what law enforcement calls the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Idaho experienced 21% more car accident fatalities in 2023 than in 2022. Facing such tragic trends, it’s unconscionable that Republican legislators are working against measures that prevent fatalities. The legislation they succeeded in passing, House Bill 87, limits a key transportation funding stream to road maintenance, expansion of travel lanes, and congestion mitigation. Every Democrat voted against this limitation, understanding that roads also need sidewalks and other features that keep our families safe. We also believe the locally-elected highway district commissioners should have the freedom to address local needs and not be restricted by mandates from far-away state legislators. Notably, the lone House Republican who voted with us is a retired police chief. While this legislation is a serious setback, Idaho Democrats will continue to strive for a future where we manage our roads with our children’s safety top of mind. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idaho’s economic prosperity and the very health of our communities depend on the strength and sustainability of our water resources. Idahoans deserve to turn on the faucet with confidence, knowing they have access to safe and clean drinking water. Similarly, food producers and other businesses need reliable water to operate and deliver their products to market. Recent reporting by the Idaho Statesman underscores the mounting concerns surrounding our water infrastructure. In White Bird, residents had to import water from neighboring Grangeville when one of their wells dried up in June. Other cities, grappling with aging infrastructure, population growth, and the high cost of upgrades, could face similar fates. Projects like wastewater treatment system upgrades in Preston, well installations in American Falls, and wastewater system replacements in Gooding require significant investments, with costs reaching tens of millions of dollars or more. Many of our smaller communities, facing limited local tax revenue and state-mandated budget restrictions, rely on state and federal funds to finance necessary repairs and upgrades. Unfortunately, partisan politics have come into play, with the integrity of our water systems hanging in the balance. In 2021, every Idaho Republican in Congress voted against the American Rescue Plan Act. These funds have played a pivotal role in supporting desperately needed infrastructure upgrades across Idaho, such as the $3.3 million wastewater upgrade in Grand View. Similarly, New Meadows utilized a $1.9 million ARPA grant to ensure access to clean drinking water. When there was another opportunity to bring federal dollars back to our state months later, Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Thankfully, strong Democratic support in Congress led to the single most significant investment to improve water infrastructure in our nation’s history. To date, $151 million has been announced to provide clean and safe water across Idaho. Incredibly, many Republicans in the Idaho Legislature want to turn down these federal dollars, even when they are urgently needed in the communities they serve. During the 2023 legislative session, 27 Republican lawmakers voted to oppose millions of federal grant dollars for local water systems. Rejecting this support risks higher property taxes, unmanageable rate increases, and more deferred maintenance and repairs. In White Bird, $400,000 in federal funds were employed to secure drinking water and locate a new well. These funds have been a lifeline, helping our towns and communities maintain aging infrastructure and provide essential services to residents. We reach moments like this when leaders have been pennywise and a pound foolish. The repercussions of further neglecting our water infrastructure could be catastrophic. We must seize the opportunity and take advantage of available funds to protect the future of water in Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea A well-educated workforce is the engine that drives our economy. That’s why Democrats in the Idaho Legislature were proud to support Idaho Launch earlier this year. Now accepting applications , Launch is a monumental step forward for our state, covering 80% of the costs for Idaho graduates pursuing in-demand careers, up to $8,000. From training nurses and welders to equipping young people with the commercial driver’s licenses they need to bring our products to market, Launch will allow more Idahoans to earn family-sustaining wages while helping employers hire the workers they need. Every industry in Idaho faces a pressing need for more qualified workers with specific skills. The demands of the modern job market have evolved. Today almost 80% of all jobs require some form of postsecondary education or training. In particular, there is a growing demand for workers in “middle-skill” jobs — positions that require more than a diploma but less than a four-year college degree like electricians, bookkeepers, and medical assistants. I was encouraged to see the broad, statewide support that Idaho Launch garnered when it was introduced in early 2023. Education leaders and every major business group in the state threw their weight behind it. They recognized the positive economic benefits for students and businesses alike. However, it was disheartening to see the unnecessary obstacles this program faced within the Statehouse. The ideological objections and the rise of far-right extremism within our Legislature’s Republican caucus make it difficult for popular and much-needed investments like this to pass. Only a few years ago, the same brand of obstructionism killed an $18 million, three-year grant to support early learning collaboratives across the states by making false claims that the locally designed programs amounted to “indoctrination.” Similarly, certain Republican politicians denounced Launch as “socialism,” ignoring our economy’s dire need for a qualified workforce. Those views are out of touch with the majority of Idahoans who understand the importance of preparing our youth for the jobs of tomorrow. Without the unanimous support of Idaho Democrats in the Legislature, Idaho Launch would have failed. In the House, it passed by a single vote. If one Democrat representative had lost their election, Idahoans would be missing out on this smart investment to address serious workforce challenges. Sadly, far-right ideologues want to dismantle the progress we’re making. That’s why Idahoans must speak out to protect Idaho Launch today. Contact your legislators and tell them you support investing in our future workforce. Encourage eligible high school seniors to consider the in-demand careers that await them with Idaho Launch. Idaho Democrats remain committed to championing education investments to ensure the future prosperity of our state. Together, we can build a brighter future for every Idahoan. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans need an effective public sector every day. This need becomes urgently apparent in emergencies. Regrettably, we now face a sudden, serious threat to our economy and natural resources: State testing recently revealed an invasive species in our Snake River, the quagga mussel. We need competent, swift action to avert a major disaster. From my earliest days in the Legislature, I heard about the extreme risks quagga mussels pose to our waterways. They clog pipes that deliver drinking water, the hydropower equipment that generates much of the energy we use, and the irrigation systems our farms and residents need. Similarly, they can severely damage and ruin motorized boat engines. Mitigating the harm they cause may cost Idaho hundreds of millions of dollars annually. There are also indirect costs like higher electricity prices and reduced tourism. The environmental impacts are sobering as well. Quagga mussels out-compete native species, making our rivers and lakes inhospitable to fish and other wildlife. If quagga mussels continue to spread down the Snake River, the entire Columbia River Basin will be at risk. This is an urgent emergency because quagga mussels multiply and spread rapidly. Adults produce 30,000 to 1,000,000 “veligers” annually and these microscopic larvae can flow downstream for 30 days before settling. Moments like this one remind us that our fates are linked. It only takes one careless or uninformed boater to transfer veliger-infested water to our waterways. And whether you live in Aberdeen or Wilder, quagga mussels can impact your community. I am grateful for the state agencies that have been at the ready to protect our prosperity and quality of life. They have activated a rapid response plan and designed a treatment plan. Treatment with chelated copper , at levels that do not compromise the safety of our drinking water, is already underway. If we can quickly eliminate the threat, Idaho can avoid enormous costs down the road. While state officials execute the interventions they do best, I trust that Idahoans will do their part. That means observing the Snake River closures where treatment is taking place and following instructions to “hot wash” watercraft that have been in affected areas at the designated wash stations. It also means continuing the prevention practices we should always observe — especially when bringing boats across state lines. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture posts up-to-date guidance at idaho.gov/quagga . The rapid response was possible due to bipartisan legislative support for monitoring and preparedness. The Legislature must continue to allocate resources to combat the current invasion, prevent future invasions, and conduct monitoring to help us catch future issues early. Together, we can protect Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea Good governance means compromise and working across the aisle for the common good. An essential governance responsibility in Congress is to pass the budgets that keep the nation operating and our economy churning. The financial stability of Idahoans is now at risk because House Republicans are refusing to make the compromises necessary to avoid a government shutdown. But you don’t have to take my word for it. As the crisis reaches a fever pitch and we approach the Saturday deadline, House Republicans have become increasingly vocal about the dire situation. Speaker Kevin McCarthy bemoaned the extreme members of his party who “just want to burn the place down.” Nevertheless, he continues to appease these members and their ludicrous demands rather than collaborate with Democrats. Idaho’s own GOP congressman Mike Simpson summed it up, “We’ve been seeing this coming ... I just didn’t think we were dumb enough to get there.” The theatrics are an unfortunate distraction from the real story: A government shutdown would cause severe hardship for Idahoans. It would force our troops to work without pay. In Idaho, 3,500 active-duty service members wouldn’t receive their paychecks, risking their ability to pay bills and put food on the table. And hundreds of thousands of civil servants at the Department of Defense would be furloughed, affecting our ability to manage national security risks. Nearly half of the babies born in the U.S. are served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. A federal contingency fund for WIC would only last a few days and many states have limited funds to keep the program running. In Idaho, the GOP shutdown would put 17,607 children, 6,441 infants, and 6,718 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers at risk of losing access to food. Idaho’s 268 TSA officers and 39 air traffic controllers would also be asked to do their critical work without pay until budget agreements are made. Previous shutdowns saw significant delays and longer wait times for travelers. A shutdown would also halt air traffic controller training, potentially causing long-term disruptions. These examples only scratch the surface of the potential damage. To play games with Americans’ livelihoods is unacceptable. We see this brand of recklessness at the Idaho Statehouse as well. A majority of House Republicans vote against critical budget bills — like the one that funds Medicaid — to run up their “scorecards” with far-right special interests. It’s often up to Idaho’s Democrats to deliver the votes that keep our state running. When one political party is willing to hold the economy hostage, we are in trouble. It’s critical that we elect serious public servants who will do the people’s work. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans deserve elected officials who do what is best for Idaho and prioritize the people they are elected to represent. Unfortunately, the track records of our longtime Republican senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo indicate a different set of priorities, as recent headlines have shown. Earlier this month, Risch made the news for his attempts to reroute flight paths at the Boise Airport. Unhappy with the occasional sound of planes taking on and off near his 44-acre ranch, he used his position to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to change the flight traffic patterns . Despite being told by an administrator that this would threaten safety and reduce efficiency, he convinced Sen.Ted Cruz to add a clause to must-pass legislation. This isn’t the first time Risch has misused his influence. In 2018, he nearly caused a government shutdown over a provision to rename Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness after his former political rival, Cecil Andrus. Such pettiness in the face of important legislation is deeply troubling. Meanwhile, Crapo has spent his decades-long political career catering to his corporate donors, at the expense of regular Idahoans. He has accepted substantial contributions from payday lending companies, which use deceptive practices to charge Idahoans a shocking average annual interest rate of 652%. In 2021, he opposed a resolution to overturn a “true lender” rule, which let non-bank lenders avoid state interest rate caps through partnerships with lenders. In this way, even if Idaho passed a state interest rate cap, Crapo wanted to ensure his friends who make predatory loans could get around it. Further concerning is his recent hostility to a pilot program that would allow taxpayers to save time and money by filing their returns directly to the IRS — rather than having to pay a corporation for filing assistance. Crapo is happy forcing Idahoans to pay these fees, which go right into the coffers of the financial services corporations that heavily fund his campaign. Their recent votes also tell a story. Last year, Risch and Crapo were among the 11 senators who voted against the PACT Act, a bill to enhance benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals. Crapo and Risch’s opposition to capping insulin at $35 a month highlights their eagerness to side with price-gouging corporations over people needing life-saving medication. And they have voted against enshrining same-sex and interracial marriage rights, paid sick leave for rail workers, and codifying Roe v. Wade protections. These two senators have collectively amassed over 80 years in public office, solidifying their status as career politicians. It’s finally time to hold them accountable at the ballot box and usher in change that prioritizes the interests of the people of Idaho over personal gain. Rep. Lauren Necochea Every Idahoan deserves to feel safe and welcome in our state. It is inspiring to watch the growing movement for our freedom to live authentically and choose who we love. Over the past few months, Pride celebrations across our state have brought communities together to celebrate this freedom. Even towns as small as Wallace, with 800 residents, joined in with its inaugural Silver Valley Pride. Across our state, everyday people and businesses are standing up in greater numbers to support our freedoms and fight back against hate. Idaho voters understand the harms of discrimination at a gut level. They know that it’s wrong to fire someone or deny them housing based on their identity. This is why a majority of Idahoans support adding the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Idaho Humans Rights Act. Idaho Democrats sponsor a bill to do just that every year, but we are blocked from getting a hearing by the Republican supermajority. The Idaho business community recognizes that being inclusive is both the right thing to do and smart for their bottom line. Businesses large and small support Pride celebrations to build the welcoming communities that attract and retain talented employees in Idaho. These companies are also sending an important message to their prospective customers about their values. The trend toward accepting and celebrating our friends and neighbors is positive for all Idahoans, except the politicians who seek to gain power by making us fear each other. While progress is often met with backlash, it’s extremely troubling that hateful rhetoric is coming from leaders we ought to be able to trust. Combined with the onslaught of Republican-backed bills attacking our LGBTQ+ community, this posturing can make Idaho a hostile place. Last week, the top Idaho Republican Party official wrote that community celebrations of our fellow Idahoans comprise “deviant debauchery,” among other hurtful statements. The words are not just painful, they are dangerous. The demonization of our fellow Idahoans fuels senseless — and even deadly — violence, as recent events show. Just last year, 31 members of a white supremacist group packed up riot gear, loaded themselves into a U-Haul, and set out to terrorize the Coeur d’Alene Pride celebration. Thankfully, their plans were thwarted by the quick actions of local law enforcement. The ending of another story is heartbreakingly tragic. In 2017, Steven Nelson was murdered in Canyon County simply for being gay. Idahoans all deserve dignity, respect, and a life free from discrimination and violence. We must elect leaders who will fight for this ideal and reject those who use hate and fear manufactured for political gain. Rep. Lauren Necochea This week, Idahoans celebrated Labor Day. It’s a moment to spend time with family and friends. It’s also a time to reflect on the strides labor movements have made and the work we still have to do. Idaho Democrats believe that if you work hard and do your part, you should be able to get ahead. Unfortunately, Idaho is not delivering on this promise and the Republican supermajority continues to push it further out of reach. In 2015, McCall residents organized to address the abysmal minimum wage that didn’t support the workers who powered the local economy. The question of raising the minimum wage was put on the ballot and failed by a slim margin. It might have passed in future years or inspired other communities to take similar action. But Republican legislators, spurred on by corporate lobbyists, acted swiftly to ensure that no community, by any vote margin, could ever increase the minimum wage, no matter how sorely it is needed. Every Democrat, joined by only one Republican, voted against the new law that took away this power from locally elected officials. Workers’ skills are the hard-earned assets they ought to be able to take with them to start a new job or their own enterprise. Sadly, powerful corporate interests saw an opportunity to limit their workers’ options by claiming ownership over their experience. Republican lawmakers catered to lobbyists by passing a law making it easier for companies to enforce noncompete agreements. This threat coerced employees to stay at a corporation even if wages didn’t meet their needs or they simply wanted a change. While the law was ultimately repealed, it nevertheless sent a chilling message about how far the Idaho GOP will go to put corporations’ desires over workers’ freedoms. Laws to weaken whistle-blower protections and strip public school teachers of their bargaining rights are additional Republican-led efforts to undermine workers’ rights in recent years. And Idaho lacks many common protections such as heat safety standards for outdoor workers, accommodations for pregnant workers, and the right to discuss compensation with coworkers. Labor movements and unions have grown the middle class. At different times in our history, Idaho workers joined together to secure fair compensation in Coeur d’Alene mines, Lewiston lumber mills, and Pocatello labor halls. Much of modern working life — weekends, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security and Medicare — were made possible by organized labor. But many of these benefits are still unattainable for too many Idahoans. While Idaho’s GOP lawmakers continue to double-down on the false promises of trickle-down economics that don’t deliver for working families, Idaho Democrats will fight for policies that make hard work translate into the financial stability workers deserve. Rep. Lauren Necochea Idahoans value our public schools, as demonstrated by this week’s election — voters passed all but one education funding measure. I’m grateful voters stepped up to deliver crucial resources to schools where funding from the Legislature is inadequate. Still, the most notable result was the successful recall of two West Bonner School District trustees. The district offers a cautionary tale of the damage that occurs when far-right politicians seize power. And it reminds us that ongoing vigilance is required to defend against extremism at all levels of government. In June, West Bonner trustees Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown voted to install a far-right politician with zero school administrative experience. This superintendent holds fringe views, including support for censuring curriculum and voucher schemes that siphon funds from public schools to private and religious schools. His lack of experience, coupled with his anti-public education ideology should have disqualified him. Instead, Rutledge and Brown saw these as assets. Voters approved levies for Castleford and Valley school districts, but Shoshone fell short of the 66% needed for its $8.2 million bond. The superintendent’s first priority was personal gain. On top of a six-figure salary exceeding his predecessor’s, he asked for eye-popping perks like a personal vehicle, car insurance and free gasoline, a housing allowance, relocation reimbursement, and free meals. A red flag was embedded in his bizarre request for the district to cover legal costs for both himself and his wife. Then came the mismanagement. Despite fierce opposition from the community, he advanced plans to combine the middle school and high school. He fired two administrators without cause (prompting a lawsuit) and replaced them with political allies, one of whom is the spouse of a vocal anti-Semite. The State Board of Education warned he lacked the credentials to hold the job lawfully and educators fled the chaotic district. Fortunately, parents, educators, and business owners sprang into action. Working across party lines, they publicized the superintendent’s terrible leadership and the lack of transparency from Rutledge and Brown during the hiring and negotiations. Volunteers knocked on doors and built a homegrown recall effort, gathering enough signatures to put the trustees on the ballot. Extremist candidates campaigning today share the far-right’s objectives: To sow chaos, bully teachers, and undermine our schools. With massive voter turnout and by decisive margins, Rutledge and Brown were successfully recalled. The efforts of the concerned residents were remarkable. Still, serious damage was done and the future of West Bonner Schools remains uncertain. In one of their final acts, the trustees amended the superintendent’s contract, making his removal more difficult. It is imperative that Idaho avoids future calamities like this one. In November, voters across Idaho will elect school board members. Extremist candidates campaigning today share the far-right’s objectives: To sow chaos, bully teachers, and undermine our schools. Idaho voters must pay close attention to these races and vote for candidates who will protect and improve our schools, rather than tear them down. Rep. Lauren Necochea Access to clean water and protection from extreme weather aren’t luxuries. They are a matter of survival, both today and for future generations. ... Democrats are acting on the truth that addressing climate change is necessary and goes hand-in-hand with building a thriving economy. This is top of mind as Idaho faces blistering record-breaking temperatures and potential water shortages. But when it comes to addressing our changing climate, too many politicians have been content to kick the can down the road indefinitely. It is especially true in Idaho, where the Republican supermajority has responded by ignoring and often denying the problem. Fortunately, Democrats are acting on the truth that addressing climate change is necessary and goes hand-in-hand with building a thriving economy. Last week was the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act , a decisive move to build our economy out of its pandemic slump by growing jobs and raising wages. But it did much more, making the biggest strides in our nation’s history toward protecting our climate future. The legislation makes crucial investments to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen energy security while creating jobs — despite every Republican in Congress voting against it. In the last decade, Idaho experienced 13 extreme weather events, costing billions in damages. As climate change drives harsher heat waves, more volatile weather, and record drought conditions, Idahoans feel the impacts: more costly utility bills, uncertainty for the agricultural sector that produces our food, and limitations on the time we can comfortably and safely spend outdoors. The Inflation Reduction Act advances conservation solutions and climate resilience across Idaho. The law helps Idaho’s 25,000 farms deploy climate-smart practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make their operations more productive. It makes it more affordable for Idahoans to purchase energy efficient appliances and make home repairs while helping families save on their utility bills. By supporting tree planting, it delivers shade and cooler temperatures to our communities. The Act also funds wildfire prevention, protecting life and property, lowering firefighting costs, and keeping our air clean. These investments not only protect health and safety; they make good financial sense. Each dollar spent on preparedness today is worth $15 in mitigated future damage. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act expands the clean energy sector, bringing an estimated $320 million of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Idaho between now and 2030. A historic set of tax credits creates jobs across clean energy industries. These credits include bonuses for businesses that pay a prevailing wage so that Idaho workers earn a good paycheck as we build our energy independence. The savings, jobs, and other benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act are already materializing across the nation and here in Idaho and will continue for generations to come. Democrats remain committed to building our sustainable future. Rep. Lauren Necochea Through the lenses of Times-News photographers, a look into the classrooms of the Magic Valley. As kids head back to school, families like mine feel the promise of the year ahead — a promise that depends on our dedicated teachers. Currently, teachers are putting in extra hours and digging into their own pockets to ready their classrooms and, too often, facing a heavier workload and less pay than the Legislature promised. Sadly, they are also bracing for harassment from far-right agitators. It’s therefore not surprising we see growing teacher turnover and schools with hundreds of vacancies. We must better support teachers to deliver the education we want for our children and the working conditions teachers deserve. Two recent news stories illustrate what we are up against. The first was an article in the Boston Globe about 2023 Idaho Teacher of the Year Karen Lauritzen, who left our state. The second was a KMVT piece about unfilled teaching vacancies in the Twin Falls School District less than a week before the start of school. Many districts face the same challenge and larger class sizes are the most likely fix when vacancies go unfilled. Lauritzen was nationally recognized for excellent instruction and her passion for student learning. Receiving this prestigious award should have been cause for celebration in her community. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred. Far-right conflict profiteers picked her part online, criticizing her personal social media posts expressing support for the LGBTQ+ community and opposition to excessive police violence against Black people. Idaho promised a historic boost in new money for education — but districts have set their budgets without receiving the full amount. Why? Despite having zero evidence that her personal views had any bearing on classroom instruction, parents started questioning her every move, even discussions of topics like world cultures and the United Nations. The harassment took its toll. Ultimately, Ms. Lauritzen — like many other Idaho teachers — made the difficult decision not to return. When educators exit the classroom, we pay a high price. Student achievement suffers in schools with more turnover. Attrition costs rural districts up to $9,000 per educator and $20,000 in urban districts. Alarmingly, an Idaho Education Association survey found that 51% of Idaho educators are considering early retirement or leaving the profession. Lack of funding, salaries that fall behind the cost of living, and a worsening anti-educator climate are driving qualified teachers from the classroom. Extreme Republican politicians have been deliberately sowing the seeds of doubt in public education for decades. They ignore the needs of students, parents, and educators and instead try to distract voters by politicizing our classrooms. Instead of censoring books and curricula, Idaho Democrats are working to support our educators. We are advocating for the things schools need, like reasonable class sizes and professional development. If we focus on delivering excellent educational opportunities to every child, we can build a bright future for Idaho. Rep. Lauren Necochea All Idahoans need a roof over their heads, but today’s housing market challenges residents across the income spectrum. Rapid population growth has led to home costs outpacing wages, with monthly rents climbing an average of $475 in Idaho — a staggering 41% increase — over the past three years. And a worrisome trend in out-of-state investors scooping up large swaths of properties is only exacerbating the situation. While many landlords operate in good faith, state laws allow bad actors to take advantage of having the upper hand in a tough market. Renters sometimes have no other options than to pay exorbitant application fees, exploitative charges, and steep rent hikes. Idahoans are often surprised to learn how little recourse renters have against these practices. With so much at stake for families, Idaho Democrats have worked hard to enact basic consumer protections. While there is much more progress to make, we have scored critical wins toward leveling the playing field. Until 2020, landlords could demand any level of rent increase once a lease expired with no advance notice, which often left renters scrambling. House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel led the passage of the Fair Warning Act, requiring a 30-day notice for rent increases or terminations of a residential lease. This gives families a fighting chance at landing on their feet. This year, Sen. Ali Rabe, who leads an eviction prevention nonprofit, brought legislation to stop the surprise fees and wildly unreasonable charges she has seen unscrupulous landlords spring on renters. In one incident, a landlord billed a family $300, claiming that a praying mantis kept in a jar for a science fair was an unauthorized pet. While 34 Republican legislators voted against this commonsense legislation — a compromise between lobbyists for landlords and renters’ advocates — enough Republicans sided with Democrats to ensure fees are reasonable and spelled out in the lease ahead of time in the future. Idaho Democrats have also played defense against state legislation threatening city-level consumer protections. One city passed an ordinance to curb some landlords’ deceptive practice of charging exorbitant rental application fees and collecting fees from applicants even when no unit was available. Republican legislators attempted to restrict the power of local governments to tackle this issue through state law. Fortunately, we have been able to block this legislation. We have a lot of unfinished business, such as Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Wintrow’s bill requiring landlords to justify deductions from security deposits, which Republican legislators blocked. But all our wins have been hard-fought, multi-year efforts to get the Republican supermajority to come along. And Idaho Democrats will continue fighting for a housing market that works for all Idahoans. Rep. Lauren Necochea We know that when our small towns and communities thrive, Idaho thrives. Idaho Democrats have long supported investment in these communities to drive growth, create jobs, and ensure rural youth have the same opportunities as kids across the state. But for too long, rural Idaho has been left to struggle under the weight of broken promises and failed leadership. It’s time to do better. When rural Idaho is neglected, key sectors of our economy like food production, forestry, and renewable energy suffer. Opportunities for children and working families also narrow. Without access to affordable homes or child care, families are pushed out of their communities to find jobs elsewhere. Consequently, rural industries and small businesses are challenged by labor shortages and a shrinking customer base. Rural Idaho has different needs than our cities and we need policies that acknowledge this. Nationally, Democrats delivered big wins that will benefit rural Idaho, including long-needed repairs to roads and bridges that will bring products to market and a $583 million investment in expanded broadband access in our state. Thousands of Idahoans living in small towns and communities will be able to access the reliable, affordable internet they need to work, learn skills, and conduct business. Here at home, Idaho Democrats are working to deliver solutions, despite pushback from Republican legislators. Rural Idahoans face limited access to health care and Idaho ranks last in the nation for physicians per capita. The Republican supermajority’s criminalization of medical care is driving more doctors and nurses out of state, causing the discontinuation of rural labor and delivery services, among other issues. When a bill advanced to incentivize nurses to serve rural areas, Democrats backed it unanimously. It passed by a single vote. Idaho Democrats also overcame Republican opposition to increase investments in rural first responders because timely treatment in a medical emergency should not depend on your zip code. Our rural schools need resources as they face inadequate, crumbling facilities and severe staff shortages. Idaho Democrats continue to advocate for fair funding. In 2022, Democrats successfully passed legislation to incentivize educators to take rural teaching positions. It took several years to overcome GOP opposition to this commonsense proposal. Whether it comes to approving desperately-needed grant dollars for preschool and child care access or investing in workforce training, it has been hard to understand Republican legislators’ opposition to policies that address rural Idaho’s needs. By prioritizing investments in our rural communities and industries, we can create a stronger, more resilient Idaho for generations to come. The Idaho Democratic Party Rural Caucus is ready to be a strong and united voice for the 500,000 people who call rural Idaho home. Rep. Lauren Necochea Sally Toone Idaho’s attorney general is the top law enforcement officer in our state. We rely on that position to protect the public interest, hold wrongdoers accountable, and provide sound legal guidance to our state agencies. From upholding the rule of law to defending our rights, the attorney general holds a serious office requiring serious leadership. In six short months, Raúl Labrador has demonstrated his top priorities are advancing his extreme agenda, fueling his political ambitions, and embroiling Idaho in costly lawsuits. In one of his first moves, Labrador dismissed trespassing charges against one of his most ardent campaign supporters, despite objections from the local chief of police. Soon after, he launched a politically motivated “investigation” into cash-strapped private nonprofits serving children. The organizations had already provided all the necessary reporting for state grants they received. But Labrador served them with a demand to produce thousands of pages of unrelated and invasive documentation, including staff texts. This frivolous case will only harm our kids and waste precious state dollars. Instead of safeguarding our freedoms, Labrador finds every possible opportunity to undermine them. He published an opinion arguing it is illegal for Idaho doctors to inform patients about their options for lawful abortions in other states. Such a gag order would subvert our right to freedom of speech. He rescinded the opinion without offering clarifying guidance for doctors, spurring another costly lawsuit against the state. Most recently, Labrador signed onto a lawsuit seeking access to your private medical records for care you receive out of state, in his quest to prosecute abortions outside his jurisdiction. Democrats are not alone in our alarm. More than 50 prominent Idaho Republicans, including former Gov. Phil Batt and former Secretary of State Ben Ysura, endorsed his Democratic opponent. Labrador’s level of dysfunction is just what these respected Republicans feared, if not worse. Sitting Republican legislators are frustrated that Labrador refuses to deliver requested legal analysis — a service they relied upon for decades — and hired an out-of-state staffer lacking critical legal credentials for a top post. Republican representatives helped kill the proposed AG Office budget to communicate their discontent. Meanwhile, the office has lost dozens of dedicated, experienced staff. In a resignation letter, one attorney warned of Labrador and his allies, “They instead appear intent on dismantling government, and doing so without regard for the people who believe in public service who fall in their wake.” Labrador was ushered into office with big money from deep out-of-state pockets. Their goal seems to be positioning their far-right darling for higher office. We mustn’t allow one man’s political ambitions to undermine our rule of law, our freedoms, or our right to functioning state agencies. Idahoans deserve better. Rep. Lauren Necochea I have to believe that no Idahoan wants to let a child go hungry. Making sure our children are nourished requires special attention in summer. When school meals are unavailable, there is additional pressure on families earning modest wages and it’s harder to make groceries stretch. It is therefore confounding that Idaho opted out of a summer food program that would have fed 123,000 kids across the state with $15 million available for our families. The root cause of this failure is poor leadership. Under single-party rule, a complete lack of accountability — compounded by decades of underinvestment in our schools — ultimately failed our kids. Our children’s access to food should have been a serious priority. It’s harder for kids to learn on an empty stomach and food insecurity impacts everything from a child’s mental and physical health to their future economic prosperity. That’s why it’s crucial to take advantage of every opportunity to nourish our kids. This new federal program first launched in 2020, providing eligible families with the cost of breakfast and lunch that their children receive during the school year when school is out. These extra funds for food cost Idaho nothing but required coordination between the state Department of Education and the Department of Health and Welfare to determine eligibility and administer benefits. Over the intervening years and with a leadership change at the Department of Education, elected Republican officials had the opportunity to act. They could have fought for an appropriation needed to implement the program, ensured schools could update the necessary data systems, and put a plan in place to implement the program. Instead, they did nothing. The deadline to participate in the 2023 summer passed earlier this month with no action. While Republican state leaders dropped the ball in such a profound way, they have no sense of accountability to the kids and families who are impacted. The Department of Education’s explanations that changing course would be “difficult” or “that’s the way it was done before” are not much better than Gov. Brad Little refusing to comment on the mess at all. The uncomfortable truth is that elected Republicans calculated that they could deny Idaho families their due benefits without any consequences because the kids at risk of going hungry have no political power. And the Idaho Republican Party’s walled-off primary elections reward not what is right, but what is the most extreme. Denying summer meals for Idaho children is an administrative failure and a moral outrage. One-party rule will continue to harm Idahoans and put our shared prosperity at risk — until we change it. This summer, our children will pay the price. We can and must do better. Rep. Lauren Necochea STK In the Times-News of July 15, Rep. Lauren Necochea, with the headline " Democrats are building stronger, more resilient recovery ," claims that "real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic." This is clearly wrong as inflation (caused in large part by President Joe Biden's super-sized giveaways) has easily outstripped wage gains. Also, in the same July 15 edition, Dorothy Moon, with the headline, " Kari Lake's Idaho visit will only fuel grassroots enthusiasm ," claims that "Lake has solidified her prominence as a leading figure in the fight for election integrity ...," when, in fact, she refused to concede the election and sued in an attempt to have the results overturned and that lawsuit was rejected by the courts and she was fined $33,000 in fees. It would be nice to have just a little more truth in these opinions. Ken Downs Kimberly The National Defense Authorization Act funds the annual budget for the Department of Defense. It usually passes on a bipartisan basis. Recently, House Republicans broke that tradition and loaded the bill with amendments that eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the Defense Department. It blocked the Pentagon from putting in place President Biden’s executive orders on climate change; ends reimbursement to military personnel who travel for abortion services, bars health care for gender transition, prevents schools associated with the Defense Department from teaching that the U.S. is racist, and blocks military schools from having certain books in their libraries. House Speaker McCarthy proudly tweeted that “the bill ENDS wokism in the military and gives our troops their biggest pay raise.” Think about it. House Republicans are hijacking our national security for morality issues that have been a part of the planet since the dawn of humanity. You might not agree with gender transition, or abortion, or the color of someone’s skin, but are you willing to sacrifice our national security to keep people in power who are legislating health care when they have no training in health care? Would you go to your state representative to have bladder surgery, or to deliver a baby? Rather than delivering solutions on climate change (just talk to insurance companies — yes, it is real), economic inequality, or cyber and racially motivated hate crimes that will eventually destroy us all, extremists are legislating whether someone can read a book. President Trump pulverized the NATO alliance. Putin has been obliterating Ukraine ever since. Diplomacy has thankfully expanded the alliance with a grateful Sweden. Regrettably, we’re edging closer to confrontation with Russia or China. It won’t be reading a book, getting transition care, or having an abortion that will determine the defense response. Act. Vote the crazies out. Kate Lopez Twin Falls I grew up on a small ranch and embraced animal agriculture long before I graduated from veterinary school. Animal agriculture is a noble enterprise, providing sustenance for billions of people and livelihoods for millions. Cockfighting, on the other hand, is a disgrace and a crime, providing no benefit to anyone but the people who enjoy animal bloodletting. The Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, S. 1529, closes loopholes in the enforcement of animal fighting laws that allow criminals to sell fighting animals and generate vast sums of money from illegal gambling. I have become more concerned lately about the future of agriculture in our country as Senior Veterinarian for Animal Wellness Action. There are powerful individuals, foundations, and organizations intent on smearing animal agriculture and not distinguishing between legitimate uses of animals and gratuitous abuses of them. Cockfighting bears no resemblance to animal agriculture. If we in animal agriculture do not distinguish between this kind of evil, and the proper, acceptable uses of animals, we will see people turn away from animal agriculture. Now it’s time to work to strengthen the federal law, so that the nation can better distinguish between proper animal use and the worst forms of malicious cruelty. It is past due that the cockfighters hang up their spurs and halt their criminal animal abuse. Support the FIGHT Act, S. 1529 and H.R. 2742, to oppose cruelty and support integrity of agriculture. Thomas Pool Norman, Oklahoma Brainwashed? Think again Solomon Asch performed some exceptional psychology experiments in the 1950s. His experiments showed the power of conformity when people sometimes agree with a group’s opinion, even when shown evidence the group is wrong. But in the 1950s, Asch could not determine whether his subjects consciously changed their views or whether social cues unconsciously skewed their perception. In 2005, Gregory Berns answered this question by repeating Asch’s experiment with brain scans. Berns found the brain’s visual center changed what it perceived to fit with the group opinion before it passed this information to the reasoning part of the brain: So people “see” evidence that doesn’t exist and do not know their perception is false. And as this process is common, it has crucial practical implications for all of us. For instance, if self-deception is unconscious, we must choose our company carefully. We safeguard our thinking by mixing with skeptical people who make evidence-based decisions and only use reputable sources. We must avoid the company of the deceived. A radio or TV constantly blaring nonsense might be enough to poison a mind. It also means we must show compassion when talking to climate, vaccine, or election deniers because, unconsciously, their brains may have “shown” them evidence that does not exist. Let’s not assume people are brainwashed when all it takes for most of us is a light rinse. Simon Smith Pullman, Washington Truth or fiction? In the Times-News of July 15, Rep. Lauren Necochea, with the headline “ Democrats are building stronger, more resilient recovery ,” claims that “real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic.” This is clearly wrong as inflation (caused in large part by President Joe Biden’s super-sized giveaways) has easily outstripped wage gains. Also, in the same July 15 edition, Dorothy Moon, with the headline, “ Kari Lake’s Idaho visit will only fuel grassroots enthusiasm ,” claims that “Lake has solidified her prominence as a leading figure in the fight for election integrity ...,” when, in fact, she refused to concede the election and sued in an attempt to have the results overturned and that lawsuit was rejected by the courts and she was fined $33,000 in fees. It would be nice to have just a little more truth in these opinions. Ken Downs Kimberly It’s not the job of government What’s the role of government? Is it to dictate to the people what there morals are or what religion they should belong to? During the territorial days of Idaho the Republican Party in 1884 passed the Idaho Test Othh. The purpose of this law was to keep members of the LDS faith from voting or holding public office. The Democratic Attorney General, Richard Z. Johnson, opposed the law to the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court in 1888, when they upheld the law. He appealed it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and lost again. At the time this law was passed, it disenfranchised 25% of the voters in Idaho. As a result of this law, the statehouse went from the control of the Democratic Party to the control of the Republican Party. In this case, a law was passed on the moral basis that plural marriage was bad, therefore members of the LDS faith could not vote or hold office. It is not government’s place to punish people because of their beliefs as long as those beliefs do no harm. Edward Easterling Kimberly Ukraine in NATO isn’t good for US If Ukraine were to be included in NATO now, it would automatically require the U.S. to go to war with Russia. NATO-type defense treaties contain a “common defense pledge” that requires every member nation to defend an attack against any other treaty nation. (“ What is Article 5? “ magicvalley.com , July 13). George Washington warned against getting involved in “permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” Democracies like Athens and Rome saw that group defense treaties were made by two or more kings wishing to protect their dynasties against another more aggressive king. Democracies have always believed it is best to stay on the sidelines regarding these kinds of petty personal squabbles and to avoid binding future generations to wars they might not agree with. Washington also learned from the Bible, where prophets like Isaiah warned Israel against “association” with other nations. After several hundred years of democratic independence, northern Israel made a common defense treaty due to their fear of aggressive Assyria, and southern Judea made a common defense pledge out of fear of autocratic Babylon. Both treaties led to complacency, decline in the fortitude of the people, aggravation of the militancy of the aggressor nation, and Israel’s dark journey into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity. Our current treaty obligations require us to get involved in virtually every war in Europe and Asia. Is that the future we want for our grandchildren? Kimball Shinkoskey Woods Cross, Utah An economy should serve the people who power it, not the other way around. Building such an economy requires making smart investments in our communities, empowering workers and small business owners, and cutting costs for families. Democrats are working to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down. Historic progress over the last 2 1/2 years — including the lowest unemployment in over 50 years and 13.2 million new jobs — shows our agenda is working. Democrats have driven billions of dollars in investments, jobs, and economic opportunities in Idaho alone. Micron broke ground on a $15 billion Boise manufacturing facility expected to create 2,000 good-paying jobs following the passage of the Chips & Science Act. Democrats are working to bring manufacturing jobs back home, even while Idaho’s Republican delegation voted against this legislation to strengthen our national and economic security. Rural communities are also benefiting from Democratic leadership. Idaho was awarded $583 million to expand broadband services. Thousands of Idahoans living in small towns and communities will be able to access the reliable, affordable internet they need to work, learn skills, and conduct business. In towns like Driggs, Cascade and Priest River, critical funds will repair roads, bridges, and other long-neglected infrastructure. These projects were made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, championed by Democrats. Democrats are fighting to give families more breathing room by lowering costs. Over 324,000 Idaho residents with Medicare will benefit from the $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and a $35 monthly cap on insulin. Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced new steps to lower the cost of childcare, making it possible for parents to stay on the job. It is no accident that the United States has seen the strongest pandemic recovery of any leading economy. It is a direct result of the Democratic economic agenda that prioritizes working families. For the 12th straight month, annual inflation has fallen and real wages for the average American worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic. This strategy of boosting working Americans into an expanding middle class fuels local businesses because more families can afford shoes for their kids, car repairs, and other goods and services on Main Street. While our work isn’t finished, our economy grows stronger every day. But this progress is at risk. MAGA Republicans continue pushing failed trickle-down policies: heaping expensive tax treats onto the well-off and profitable corporations that blow up the deficit and do nothing for regular people. Idahoans deserve a vibrant economy in which working families benefit from their contributions. Democrats will keep fighting for an economy that works for all. Rep. Lauren Necochea State Rep. Lauren Necochea is chair of the Idaho Democratic Party. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans decreased its stake in shares of TransDigm Group Incorporated ( NYSE:TDG – Free Report ) by 35.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,553 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 3,069 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in TransDigm Group were worth $7,924,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of TransDigm Group by 283.3% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 23 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in shares of TransDigm Group in the third quarter worth $29,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of TransDigm Group by 275.0% during the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 30 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of TransDigm Group by 68.8% in the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 27 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Hershey Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in TransDigm Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.78% of the company’s stock. TransDigm Group Stock Up 1.6 % TDG opened at $1,260.32 on Friday. TransDigm Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $949.99 and a 52 week high of $1,451.32. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,359.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,318.20. The firm has a market cap of $70.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.43. TransDigm Group Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at TransDigm Group In related news, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 5,472 shares of TransDigm Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,402.85, for a total value of $7,676,395.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 21,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,228,611.80. The trade was a 20.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, COO Joel Reiss sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,401.75, for a total transaction of $4,205,250.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 3,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,046,300. The trade was a 45.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 16,944 shares of company stock valued at $23,541,085 in the last three months. 4.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes TDG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of TransDigm Group in a report on Thursday, August 1st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $1,440.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on TransDigm Group from $1,550.00 to $1,575.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,500.00 price objective on shares of TransDigm Group in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on TransDigm Group from $1,466.00 to $1,423.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,461.82. Get Our Latest Research Report on TDG TransDigm Group Company Profile ( Free Report ) TransDigm Group Incorporated designs, produces, and supplies aircraft components in the United States and internationally. The Power & Control segment offers mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, specialized pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, specialized AC/DC electric motors and generators, batteries and chargers, databus and power controls, sensor products, switches and relay panels, hoists, winches and lifting devices, and cargo loading and handling systems. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TransDigm Group Incorporated ( NYSE:TDG – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for TransDigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransDigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .NonePeabody's $2.32 billion deal for Anglo American coal assets called 'transformative'

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Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has no shortage of memories of the Iowa football program. An Iowa native born in Davenport, Holgorsen’s days as a Hawkeye fan are long in the past — but he remembers what it’s like to coach against them. An experience that Holgorsen first underwent as a young Texas Tech assistant in 2001 will be reprised again this weekend. “Twenty-some years later, it’s the same scheme, the same coach, the same everything; this is crazy,” Holgorsen said of Iowa. “It’s going to take another good effort and more improvement to be able to go to Iowa and play in that atmosphere against a good football team.” Nebraska’s recent surge on offense will have the Huskers feeling confident about their upcoming matchup. While Nebraska may not have equaled its recent 44-point outburst against Wisconsin during a loss to USC two weeks prior, foundational improvements were there from the start in Holgorsen’s eyes. Despite scoring 13 points on offense against the Trojans, the Husker offense “just felt better” in that game, Holgorsen said, leading to a “very motivated team” during the week’s practice efforts. And when NU hit the field on Saturday, improvements were there. After struggling to finish drives against USC, Nebraska scored five touchdowns in its seven red zone attempts against Wisconsin. Nebraska threw the ball well, protected its quarterback and found a "difference-maker" in running back Emmett Johnson. “We ran the ball better; that’s the second week in a row I thought the O-line has played well,” Holgorsen said. “Dylan (Raiola) hasn’t been hit a whole lot, he feels good, he’s getting better and processing things well. We’re throwing it and catching it better and our receivers are in the right spots.” It’s been no easy task to drive those improvements in a short amount of time. Holgorsen has only been in Lincoln for a little over three weeks, having first been summoned by head coach Matt Rhule to evaluate the team’s offense before taking over control of it. Midseason coordinator changes may not be rare, but hiring a new face from outside the program is, and Holgorsen admits it made for a “rough” first week on the job. After all, none of the Husker coaches Holgorsen was joining and players he was beginning to coach knew exactly how the situation would play out. Instead, they had to go through it together. “I started getting into the offensive room and those coaches were looking at me crazy like, ‘What are you doing here?’ It’s just true, so we had to sit down and talk and start feeling things out and start working together,” Holgorsen said. “Give those assistant coaches a lot of credit because they didn’t bat an eye. I thought we were smart with how we handled it — I could’ve came in here and changed specific things and that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do for the coaches and the players. I was the one that had to learn.” A desire to challenge himself was one reason Holgorsen said he took the Nebraska job, something which showed up in the new offensive language he needed to familiarize himself with. Having come up as a young coach in the Air Raid offense, Holgorsen exclusively learned, mastered and taught those principles in the years since. It had been 35 years since he last had to learn a new offensive language, Holgorsen estimated. Flash cards with terminology from the Nebraska offense and help from other assistants have helped smooth over that process. Holgorsen may not have been able to stamp his identity all over the offense yet, but he has been able to tweak things, including the very playbook Nebraska operates from. Rhule’s original concepts of a pro-style offense have been added to, transformed and adjusted over the years, with current coaches Marcus Satterfield, Glenn Thomas and Donovan Raiola all bringing different principles and focuses to the playbook. “There’s just all kinds of ideas, so that playbook got pretty big,” Holgorsen said. “I was just like, ‘Look, there’s only one sheet and whatever’s on the sheet is what’s going to get called.’” Trimming down the number of plays Nebraska practices is one such adjustment Holgorsen has made, a process that is collaborative among the Husker coaching staff. Holgorsen also said Nebraska was “probably playing people in too many different spots,” something he’s looked to change so players can focus on their individual roles with more accuracy. “We’ve done a good job of coming together and coming up with a plan of what makes sense to our players,” Holgorsen said. “If it don’t make sense to me, it ain’t gonna make sense to them.” Those changes, and the potential Nebraska showed on offense last week, have excited Husker fans about what the future of a Holgorsen-led offense will look like. However, nothing is guaranteed yet. Holgorsen said that when taking the job he told Rhule he’d get the team ready for USC, Wisconsin and Iowa before figuring out what the future holds. “I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want to know what’s next,” Holgorsen. What Holgorsen does know is that he’s enjoying the opportunity in front of him. In part because of the responsibilities he had as a head coach compared to being an offensive coordinator, Holgorsen said he had “more fun on Saturday than I’ve had in a long time” overseeing the Husker offense. As Holgorsen continues furthering improvements within the Nebraska offense, the only guarantee Husker fans have is that he’ll be on the sidelines Friday. It’s currently “the plan” that he will continue as Nebraska’s playcaller during its bowl game, Holgorsen said. “My plan’s to focus on Iowa, try to beat Iowa and see what happens after that.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!NBA 2024-25: How to watch in the UK, NBA TV schedule, what channel is NBA on in UK?

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Google, already facing a possible breakup of the company , is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct, this time over technology that puts in front of consumers. The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments Monday in a trial alleging Google’s advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, will decide the case and is expected to issue a written ruling by the end of the year. If Brinkema finds Google has engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct, she will then hold further hearings to explore what remedies should be imposed. The Justice Department, along with a coalition of states, has already said it believes Google should be forced to sell off parts of its ad tech business, which generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the Mountain View, California-based company. After roughly a month of trial testimony earlier this year, the same. During three hours of arguments Monday, Brinkema, who sometimes tips her hand during legal arguments, did little to indicate how she might rule. She did, though, question the applicability of a key antitrust case Google cites in its defense. The Justice Department contends Google built and maintained a monopoly in “open-web display advertising,” essentially the rectangular ads that appear on the top and right-hand side of the page when one browses websites. Google dominates all facets of the market. A technology called DoubleClick is used pervasively by news sites and other online publishers, while Google Ads maintains a cache of advertisers large and small looking to place their ads on the right webpage in front of the right consumer. In between is another Google product, AdExchange, that conducts nearly instantaneous auctions matching advertisers to publishers. In court papers, Justice Department lawyers say Google “is more concerned with acquiring and preserving its trifecta of monopolies than serving its own publisher and advertiser customers or winning on the merits.” As a result, content providers and news organizations have never been able to generate the online revenue they should due to Google’s excessive fees for brokering transactions between advertisers and publishers, the government says. Google argues on a narrow niche of online advertising. If one looks more broadly at online advertising to include social media, streaming TV services, and app-based advertising, Google says it controls as little as 10% of the market, a share that is dwindling as it faces increased and evolving competition. Google alleges in court papers that the government’s lawsuit “boil(s) down to the persistent complaints of a handful of Google’s rivals and several mammoth publishers.” Google also says it has invested billions in technology that facilitates the efficient match of advertisers to interested consumers and it should not be forced to share its technology and success with competitors. “Requiring a company to do further engineering work to make its technology and customers accessible by all of its competitors on their preferred terms has never been compelled by U.S. antitrust law,” the company wrote. Brinkema, during Monday’s arguments, also sought clarity on Google’s market share, a number the two sides dispute, depending on how broadly the market is defined. Historically, courts have been unwilling to declare an illegal monopoly in markets in which a company holds less than a 70% market share. Google says that when online display advertising is viewed as a whole, it holds only a 10% market share, and dwindling. The Justice Department contends, though, that when focusing on open-web display advertising, Google controls 91% of the market for publisher ad servers and 87% of the market for advertiser ad networks. Google says that the “open web display advertising” market is gerrymandered by the Justice Department to make Google look bad, and that nobody in the industry looks at that category of ads without considering the ability of advertisers to switch to other forms of advertising, like in mobile apps. The Justice Department also contends that the public is harmed by the excessive rates Google charges to facilitate ad purchases, saying the company takes 36 cents on the dollar when it facilitates the transaction end to end. Google says its “take rate” has dropped to 31% and continues to decrease, and it says that rate is lower than that of its competitors. “When you have an integrated system, one of the benefits is lower prices,” Google lawyer Karen Dunn said Monday. The Virginia case is separate from an ongoing lawsuit brought against Google in the District of Columbia over its namesake search engine. In that case, the judge determined it constitutes an illegal monopoly but has not decided what remedy to impose. The Justice Department said last week it will seek to force Google to , among a host of other penalties. Google has said the department’s request is overkill and unhinged from legitimate regulation. In Monday’s arguments, Justice Department lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum cited the search engine case when he highlighted an email from a Google executive, David Rosenblatt, who said in a 2009 email that Google’s goal was to “do to display what Google did to search,” which Teitelbaum said showed the company’s intent to achieve market dominance. “Google did not achieve its trifecta of monopolies by accident,” Teitelbaum said. Matthew Barakat, The Associated PressArsenal defender Gabriel kept Viktor Gyokeres quiet — then had the audacity to steal the in-demand Sporting Lisbon striker's trademark goal celebration. After heading in Arsenal's third first-half goal in the Champions League on Tuesday, Gabriel linked the fingers of his hands and placed them over his eyes, before laughing with his teammates. It was most likely a dig at Gyokeres, the Sweden striker who has quickly become one of European soccer's hottest properties . Because that is how Gyokeres celebrates his goals. “It's fun that he likes my celebration,” Gyokeres told Viaplay after the match. “He can steal it if he cannot come up with his own.” Gyokeres has scored 24 goals for Sporting in all competitions and was coming off netting four for Sweden in a Nations League match against Azerbaijan. Earlier in the first half, Gabriel had enjoyed tackling and dispossessing Gyokeres near the Arsenal area — waving both his arms in a gesture to the crowd. Gabriel's goal made it 3-0 to Arsenal at halftime and the English team went on to win 5-1, with Gyokeres failing to score. He did hit the post with a shot late in the game, however — after Gabriel had gone off with an injury. “Today he wasn't that dangerous,” Arsenal striker Kai Havertz said of Gyokeres, “but I think it's because we defended very well.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSports Correspondent Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, currently representing Morocco, tops the list of goal scorers in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, with an impressive 7 goals. Diaz has been in stellar form, helping to boost Morocco’s qualification campaign. Here are the top goal scorers so far: These players have made significant contributions to their teams’ efforts as they vie for a place in the prestigious continental tournament.

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Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoffUS stocks rose Monday, with the Dow finishing at a fresh record as markets greeted Donald Trump's pick for treasury secretary, while oil prices retreated on hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The Dow climbed one percent to a second straight all-time closing high on news of the selection of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the critical economic policy position. A widely respected figure on Wall Street, Bessent is seen as being in favor of growth and deficit reduction policies and not known overly fond of trade tariffs. The market "breathed a sigh of relief" at Bessent's selection, said Art Hogan from B. Riley Wealth Management. But after an initial surge Monday, the gains in US equities moderated somewhat. While investors are enthusiastic about the possibility of tax cuts and regulatory relief under Trump, "we do have to face the potential for tariffs being a negative as well as a very tight market around immigration, which is not positive for the economy," Hogan said. Earlier, equity gains were limited in Europe as growth concerns returned to the fore with Germany's Thyssenkrupp announcing plans to cut or outsource 11,000 jobs in its languishing steel division. Currently around 27,000 people are employed in the steel division, which has been battered by high production costs and fierce competition from Asian rivals. Elsewhere, crude oil prices fell decisively as Israel's security cabinet prepared to decide whether to accept a ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah, an official said Monday. The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have all pushed in recent days for a truce in the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared into all-out war in late September. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told AFP the security cabinet "will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal." And bitcoin's push toward $100,000 ran out of steam after coming within a whisker of the mark last week, on hopes that Trump would enact policies to bring the cryptocurrency more into the mainstream. Bitcoin was recently trading under $96,000, having set a record high of $99,728.34 Friday -- the digital currency has soared about 50 percent in value since Trump's election. This week's data includes a reading of consumer confidence and an update of personal consumption prices, a key inflation indicator. Those reporting earnings include Best Buy, Dell and Dick's Sporting Goods. New York - Dow: UP 1.0 percent at 44,736.57 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 5,987.37 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.3 percent at 19,054.84 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,291.68 (close) Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 7,257.47 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 19,405.20 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 38,780.14 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.4 percent at 19,150.99 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,263.76 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0495 from $1.0418 on Friday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2564 from $1.2530 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.23 yen from 154.78 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.51 pence from 83.14 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.2 percent at $68.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.9 percent at $73.01 per barrel bur-jmb/dw

 

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WASHINGTON — A nearly two-year investigation by Democratic senators of Supreme Court ethics details more luxury travel by Justice Clarence Thomas and urges Congress to establish a way to enforce a new code of conduct. Any movement on the issue appears unlikely as Republicans prepare to take control of the Senate in January, underscoring the hurdles in imposing restrictions on a separate branch of government even as public confidence in the court has fallen to record lows. The 93-page report released Saturday by the Democratic majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee found additional travel taken in 2021 by Thomas but not reported on his annual financial disclosure form: a private jet flight to New York's Adirondacks in July and jet and yacht trip to New York City sponsored by billionaire Harlan Crow in October, one of more than two dozen times detailed in the report that Thomas took luxury travel and gifts from wealthy benefactors. The court adopted its first code of ethics in 2023, but it leaves compliance to each of the nine justices. "The highest court in the land can't have the lowest ethical standards," the committee chairman, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, said in a statement. He has long called for an enforceable code of ethics. Republicans protested the subpoenas authorized for Crow and others as part of the investigation. No Republicans signed on to the final report, and no formal report from them was expected. A spokesman for Crow said he voluntarily agreed to provide information for the investigation, which did not pinpoint any specific instances of undue influence. Crow said in a statement that Thomas and his wife Ginni had been unfairly maligned. "They are good and honorable people and no one should be treated this way," he said. Attorney Mark Paoletta, a longtime friend of Thomas who has been tapped for the incoming Trump administration, said the report was aimed at conservatives whose rulings Democrats disagreed with. "This entire investigation was never about 'ethics' but about trying to undermine the Supreme Court," Paoletta said in a statement posted on X. The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thomas has said he was not required to disclose the trips that he and his wife took with Crow because the big donor is a close friend of the family and disclosure of that type of travel was not previously required. The new ethics code does explicitly require it, and Thomas has since gone back and reported some travel. The report traces back to Justice Antonin Scalia, saying he "established the practice" of accepting undisclosed gifts and hundreds of trips over his decades on the bench. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and retired Justice Stephen Breyer also took subsided trips but disclosed them on their annual forms, it said. The investigation found that Thomas has accepted gifts and travel from wealthy benefactors worth more than $4.75 million by some estimates since his 1991 confirmation and failed to disclose much of it. "The number, value, and extravagance of the gifts accepted by Justice Thomas have no comparison in modern American history," according to the report. It also detailed a 2008 luxury trip to Alaska taken by Justice Samuel Alito. He has said he was exempted from disclosing the trip under previous ethical rules. Alito also declined calls to withdraw from cases involving Donald Trump or the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol after flags associated with the riot were seen flying at two of Alito's homes. Alito has said the flags were raised by this wife. Thomas has ignored calls to step aside from cases involving Trump, too. Ginni Thomas supported Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden. The report also pointed to scrutiny of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who, aided by her staff, has advanced sales of her books through college visits over the past decade. Justices have also heard cases involving their book publishers, or involving companies in which justices owned stock. Biden has been the most prominent Democrat calling for a binding code of conduct. Justice Elena Kagan has publicly backed adopting an enforcement mechanism, though some ethics experts have said it could be legally tricky. Justice Neil Gorsuch recently cited the code when he recused himself from an environmental case. He had been facing calls to step aside because the outcome could stand to benefit a Colorado billionaire whom Gorsuch represented before becoming a judge. The report also calls for changes in the Judicial Conference, the federal courts' oversight body led by Chief Justice John Roberts, and further investigation by Congress. Copyright 2024 NPREmi Martinez began the night by walking onto the field with his children and parading a pair of trophies for being the world’s best goalkeeper for the last two years. He finished it by producing an astonishing save that vindicated those awards. The Argentina international illuminated a 0-0 draw between his Aston Villa team and Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday by plucking the ball from behind him and scooping it off the goal line to deny Francisco Conceição what could have been the winner. Replays showed the ball was almost entirely over the line before Martinez hooked it clear, and the goalkeeper was quickly congratulated by his teammates. No save by Martinez will ever beat the one he pulled off for Argentina in the last seconds of extra time in the 2022 World Cup final , denying France striker Randal Kolo Muani and keeping teammate Lionel Messi’s dream alive of finally winning soccer’s biggest prize. He might just have run it close. It was fitting he produced his wonder save against Juve on the night he showed off the two Yashin Trophies he claimed at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in each of the past two years. The most recent one came last month. As for Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, he finished the game relieved that what appeared to be a mistake in the final seconds of stoppage time didn't cost his team. Di Gregorio spilled a cross under pressure from Villa defender Diego Carlos and Morgan Rogers was there to poke the ball into the net. A goal was awarded by the on-field referee but after a two-minute check, it was ruled out for a foul on Di Gregorio by Carlos. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerLUQUE, Paraguay — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts after the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was officially named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold that breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-month process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. Japanese sake, a nominee for UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list, are displayed on Japan's delegation table, during a UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. Japanese breweries also expressed hope the listing could give a lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. “I hope that this will also be an opportunity for Japanese people to take another look at sake, shochu and awamori, which are the essence of their culture," Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the trade group Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, said in Tokyo. "I would like them to try it even once and see what it tastes like,” he said. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the association. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts as the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” he said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “delighted” by UNESCO's recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, and he congratulated those dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition. The crisp autumn air ushers in more than just pumpkin spice latte season. Consider cozying up inside with friends for a wine tasting and sharing delicious food and drinks with more complex flavors than cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps once thought of as stuffy affairs only for wine connoisseurs, today a tasting can be as casual as pouring a few bottles while doing another activity—say, bar games like darts or art activities like painting. The tasting can also be more traditional, especially if held at a winery or local wine shop, which is a great way to learn about what wines you might like to later serve at home. To host the ultimate wine tasting, it pays to do some R&D. One of the best aspects of hosting a wine tasting at home is that you get to establish the mood, tone, and guest list for the gathering—you can't pick a playlist when you sample wines at a bar or wine shop or make the dress code loungewear. So whether the mood is serious or playful, sophisticated or laid-back, the key to a successful tasting is enjoying and appreciating the wine and having fun with friends and family. Of course, there are a few other things to figure out along the way. Peerspace put together a few tips for hosting your wine-tasting party. A tasting party is all about sampling different wines and evaluating and hopefully enjoying them—and there are a variety of ways to do that. Would you like to host a playful gathering where each guest brings a mystery bottle of wine within a certain price range—a BYOB affair? Or would it be better to have more control over which wines are featured by curating and supplying all the wines as a host? This decision sets the tone—a tasting where guests contribute wine can be a bit of a free-for-all, whereas one where you select wines you supply allows guests to sit back and simply enjoy. And you don't have to break the bank to buy excellent wines—there are lots of wine experts ready to share their affordable picks. How much folks know about wine differs—and that's a good thing. Tastings are group learning experiences. Expertise isn't necessary to host or attend a tasting, but it is helpful to think about what will keep guests comfortable and having fun. Decide whether the vibe will be relaxed and laid-back, like friends sipping wine fireside, or more upbeat and formal. Think about elements like the atmosphere and the location, and consider whether folks will be seated or standing. Will you have a spirited playlist (couldn't resist) or live music? Do you want an expert to introduce each wine, or will you be that expert? Consider how guests will share their thoughts on what they are tasting. Do you want to just talk about them or do something more organized, like take notes or give ratings? Then supply notebooks or notecards and pencils, with categories or questions established ahead of time—all of which can reflect your evening's tone as well. Picking a theme is essential to curating the selection of wines—it's the organizing principle behind your selections. Otherwise, your tasting might as well be just walking down the wine aisle at the grocery store and taking sips from random bottles. There's too much wine out there not to be strategic about this. Plus, a theme helps you to tell the story of each wine better—it's the plot line of the night, if you will. Common themes are types of wine, regions they are from, or even price points—really, one can get as creative as they wish. For inspiration, check out local wine shops and see what they do for tastings. Often, they will follow seasonality and group wines in novel ways for their own in-house tastings. Don't let food be an afterthought for the festivities—after all, food can enhance particular qualities of wine and vice versa. There are many rules around what foods to pair with which wines, but consider this simple advice from Alder Yarrow's Vinography : "Stick with eating good food and drinking good wine." Since the focus is on the wines, allow the drinks to determine what food makes sense, but don't overthink it. Food is a supporting character here—at the very least, guests will need something to soak up all the alcohol (unless you are spitting it out). Eating foods that contain a mixture of protein, fats, and carbs when drinking helps increase the rate of alcohol elimination . Whether it's a full meal or heavy hors d'oeuvres, thoughtful noshes are necessary. How many people to invite is a question largely informed by the answers to tip #1: Are you having a big, formal affair or an intimate catch-up with close friends? Or something in between? Whatever the case, an RSVP is essential because not only do you need to plan the setup of the space, but you must also make sure there's enough wine for everyone to taste, including each of the wines featured. There's nothing worse than a tasting that runs dry! The math to determine how much wine you need considers the size of the tasting pours—a full glass of wine at a restaurant is usually around 5 ounces, which yields around five glasses of wine from a standard bottle. For tastings, you'll want to do less, depending on how many wines you are featuring—say, 2 ounces if you'll be trying a lot of different wines. Experts agree, having more wine than you need is always a good idea—that way you can send guests home with a bottle should there be a prize at the end of the night. The bottom line is, however you do it, hosting the ultimate wine tasting should be fun. Wine can feel intimidating to many people, but most wine experts are passionate, inspired folks who want to share what they know and help you find wines you like. So visit your local wine store or winemaker and ask questions. There are good guides specifically concerning how to taste wine. Dig a little, taste a lot, and have fun. It's all research for your next ultimate wine tasting. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Peerspace and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Call it Fox & Fiancées: Fox News' prime-time star Sean Hannity is engaged to "Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt. The "Hannity" host popped the question at their home church at Christmas, according to Fox News . The couple's children — he has two, she has one — "couldn't be happier" about the engagement, giving their parents their blessing and support, the cable news network said. "We are overjoyed and so thankful to our families for all of their love and support during this wonderful time in our lives," the Fox News hosts said. The spouses-to-be did not announce the engagement on their social media pages, but Earhardt marked the holiday with an Instagram carousel of Christmas photos that featured Hannity. "Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus. 2024 has been a very special year. #christmas #merrychristmas," she wrote Wednesday. Although it's unclear exactly when Earhardt, 48, and Hannity, 62, began dating, the private couple said they bonded over their deep faith. They have reportedly been spotted together at social events since 2019. Vanity Fair first reported in 2020 that the pair — dubbed the "first couple of Fox" by the magazine — had been privately dating for months after arriving together by private helicopter for the wedding of then-"Fox & Friends" weekend host Pete Hegseth and producer Jennifer Rauchet at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. People then claimed that Earhardt and Hannity had been seeing each other "for years," but the speculation yielded denials from both TV personalities at the time, with the former announcing that she was not dating anyone and the latter asserting that he doesn't publicly discuss his personal life. Meanwhile, Earhardt is based in New York while Hannity lives in Florida as they carry out their long-term deals with Fox News Media. The couple said they maintain their long-distance relationship with weekend trips. Hannity, who also hosts the streaming Fox Nation show "Sean," joined the network when it debuted in 1996 and launched "Hannity & Colmes" with his liberal counterpart Alan Colmes, who left the show in 2008 after 12 years. Since then, the conservative political pundit has remained among the cable news network's top prime-time stars. Earhardt joined Fox News in 2007 and briefly hosted a segment on "Hannity." She began co-hosting "Fox & Friends" in 2016 and also hosts "Ainsley's Bible Study" on Fox Nation. This will be the second marriage for Hannity and the third for Earhardt. Hannity was wed to journalist Jill Rhodes for 26 years before they divorced in 2009. The former spouses share two adult children, Merri and Sean. Earhardt was previously married to Kevin McKinney from 2005 to 2009 and Clemson Tigers quarterback Will Proctor from 2012 to 2019. She and Proctor share a 9-year-old daughter , Hayden. Both Earhardt and Hannity say they "still get along well" with their exes and that they all support one another. "We actually made them aware this was happening ahead of time," they said. The couple, longtime defenders of President-elect Donald Trump, also received well wishes on Friday from him. "Great news about Sean and Ainsley. They are officially engaged to be married! There are no finer people than these, and there will be no finer couple. Congratulations to both - A deal made in HEAVEN!!!" he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

In their final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game midway through the opening period. Arsenal’s victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more than the Reds, and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Ipswich, although much improved in the second half, have now lost five of their last six games, and remain just one place off the bottom of the table, three points away from safety. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/hDd5bkHwXr — Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 27, 2024 Mikel Arteta’s men have been rocked by Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury which could keep the England winger, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, out of action for the next two months. Gabriel Martinelli was handed the unenviable task of filling Saka’s shoes on Arsenal’s right-hand side and the Brazilian was involved in the only goal of the evening. The Ipswich defence failed to deal with Martinelli’s cross, with the ball falling to Leandro Trossard on the opposite side of the area. Trossard fought his way to the byline before fizzing his cross into the box for Havertz to convert from a matter of yards. It was Havertz’s third goal in four matches, his 12th of the season, and no less than the hosts, who at that stage of the match had enjoyed a staggering 91.4 per cent of the possession, deserved. Heading into Friday’s fixture, Arsenal had lost only one of their last 75 Premier League games when they had opened the scoring, and their triumph here rarely looked in doubt following Havertz’s strike. Three points that take Arsenal into second 🪜 #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/Dx3s6XlwQ2 — Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2024 Havertz thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead with 34 minutes gone when he converted Gabriel Jesus’ cross. But Jesus – handed his third successive start for the first time in a year – strayed into an offside position in the build-up. When referee Darren England blew for half-time, Ipswich had failed to touch the ball in Arsenal’s box, becoming just the second side to do so in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest were the other, away at Liverpool, before they went on to inflict Arne Slot’s sole defeat of his tenure so far. And for all of Arsenal’s possession, while they held just a one-goal advantage, Ipswich knew they were still in the game. An encouraging start to the second half for the Tractor Boys ensued, albeit without testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Gabriel should have settled any growing Emirates nerves when he arrived unmarked to Declan Rice’s corner, but the defender headed wide of Arijanet Muric’s post when it looked easier to score. Just over an hour on the clock. #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/JXNipX1J1Z — IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) December 27, 2024 Martin Odegaard then forced a fine fingertip save from Muric at his near post after a mazy run and shot from the Arsenal skipper. Rice’s stinging goal-bound volley from the following corner was blocked by Dara O’Shea as Arsenal pushed for a game-killing second. Havertz should have tapped home Trossard’s header but he fluffed his lines. And moments later, substitute Mikel Merino’s effort was diverted from danger by a diving Muric. Ipswich looked to catch Arsenal on the counter, but the match ended without them registering a single effort on Raya’s goal. Ipswich fans goaded their opponents with chants of “boring, boring Arsenal”, but it was the Gunners who enjoyed the last laugh as they saw out 2024 with a win which keeps the pressure on Liverpool.Varanasi college-mosque row: 5 held for ‘spreading rumours’

AFN National Chief calls on all levels of government to embrace relationships with First NationsIn their final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game midway through the opening period. Arsenal’s victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more than the Reds, and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Ipswich, although much improved in the second half, have now lost five of their last six games, and remain just one place off the bottom of the table, three points away from safety. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/hDd5bkHwXr — Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 27, 2024 Mikel Arteta’s men have been rocked by Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury which could keep the England winger, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, out of action for the next two months. Gabriel Martinelli was handed the unenviable task of filling Saka’s shoes on Arsenal’s right-hand side and the Brazilian was involved in the only goal of the evening. The Ipswich defence failed to deal with Martinelli’s cross, with the ball falling to Leandro Trossard on the opposite side of the area. Trossard fought his way to the byline before fizzing his cross into the box for Havertz to convert from a matter of yards. It was Havertz’s third goal in four matches, his 12th of the season, and no less than the hosts, who at that stage of the match had enjoyed a staggering 91.4 per cent of the possession, deserved. Heading into Friday’s fixture, Arsenal had lost only one of their last 75 Premier League games when they had opened the scoring, and their triumph here rarely looked in doubt following Havertz’s strike. Three points that take Arsenal into second 🪜 #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/Dx3s6XlwQ2 — Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2024 Havertz thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead with 34 minutes gone when he converted Gabriel Jesus’ cross. But Jesus – handed his third successive start for the first time in a year – strayed into an offside position in the build-up. When referee Darren England blew for half-time, Ipswich had failed to touch the ball in Arsenal’s box, becoming just the second side to do so in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest were the other, away at Liverpool, before they went on to inflict Arne Slot’s sole defeat of his tenure so far. And for all of Arsenal’s possession, while they held just a one-goal advantage, Ipswich knew they were still in the game. An encouraging start to the second half for the Tractor Boys ensued, albeit without testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Gabriel should have settled any growing Emirates nerves when he arrived unmarked to Declan Rice’s corner, but the defender headed wide of Arijanet Muric’s post when it looked easier to score. Just over an hour on the clock. #ARSIPS pic.twitter.com/JXNipX1J1Z — IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) December 27, 2024 Martin Odegaard then forced a fine fingertip save from Muric at his near post after a mazy run and shot from the Arsenal skipper. Rice’s stinging goal-bound volley from the following corner was blocked by Dara O’Shea as Arsenal pushed for a game-killing second. Havertz should have tapped home Trossard’s header but he fluffed his lines. And moments later, substitute Mikel Merino’s effort was diverted from danger by a diving Muric. Ipswich looked to catch Arsenal on the counter, but the match ended without them registering a single effort on Raya’s goal. Ipswich fans goaded their opponents with chants of “boring, boring Arsenal”, but it was the Gunners who enjoyed the last laugh as they saw out 2024 with a win which keeps the pressure on Liverpool.1. A wine wand because you love wine, but wine does not love you. This little handheld filter helps remove histamines and sulfites in alcohol that may trigger headaches and other symptoms. Plus, it'll help restore the natural taste of your wine after it's been opened. PureWine is a small biz that specializes in wine accessories. Check it out on TikTok ! And read more about sulfite allergies and wine at Cleveland Clinic Promising review: "What a difference these have made in my life. With my allergies, it was impossible to enjoy a glass or two of wine without nasty side effects: stuffy nose, red face, and headaches. Now, I can have a glass of wine and not have to dart to a package of antihistamines! Makes a great gift. Even thinking of splitting a box into stocking stuffers. Each wand is individually wrapped. Have purchased these several times and will continue to do so." — KellyH Get a three-pack from Amazon for $11.99 (available in other multipacks). 2. A set of bedsheet fasteners so you don't have to break a sweat trying to get your bedsheets to stay on your bed. These babies keep your fitted sheets in place so it no longer has to be an Olympic sport, ya know? Promising review: " These work really well! I have a 14-inch mattress, so keeping the fitted sheet well secured has been a struggle until now. One of the best purchases I've made. I followed someone else's advice here of turning the sheet inside out, putting the fasteners on, then putting the sheet on the mattress. Made them very easy to use." — Jayne Voyt Get a four-pack from Amazon for $7.19+ (available in three colors and in an eight-pack). 3. A fast-acting HyperChiller for those days you're running a tad bit late but still need your iced coffee fix. Best part of all? You get a heavenly cold cup of coffee in only 60 seconds! Easy peasy! This 12.5-ounce cup chills all beverages except carbonated ones (think tea, juice, and even wine). Fill it with water and put it in the freezer for 12 hours before using it then the next morning you're all good to go! Plus, it's dishwasher safe! Promising review: "I’m the type of person who loves iced coffee any day and I like to take my time drinking it. This HyperChiller has truly changed my life! It’s super easy to put together and clean! Also, the fact that you can pour your hot coffee directly into it is amazing! It’s super fast at making your coffee cold, and it never tastes watered down at all! I am so amazed and happy by this invention, 100% recommend everyone buys it." — Catherine D Get it from Amazon for $15.80+ (available in five colors). 4. A dog feeding tracker so everyone in the house knows if the fur baby has been fed. No more texting the family group chat to see if Toto ate or not — let this little tracker make life a littleeee easier. This tracker comes equipped with magnets and self-adhesive backing for multiple mounting options. Promising review: "Awesome product! There are four of us who were working together to feed the dogs. It simplified everything because I no longer have to text to see if anyone had fed them every morning. Now I just see if it's green and if not I feed them and indicate it, we all love it so much! " — Toni Deegan Get it from Amazon for $7.95+ (available in six styles). 5. A set of two reusable Wad-Free tools you might recognize from Shark Tank that'll make laundry day a bit easier on you. Reduce drying time and prevent clothes and sheets from getting all tangled up in each other. Adulting is literally finding loopholes to make life easier , and these certainly do the job. Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic by Cyndi, who had a wadding problem and no available solutions so she created her own! Promising review: "Wow!!! You wonder if things like this really work and, well, I can absolutely confirm it does ! First, I was impressed that the package came with two of the devices because I was only expecting one, so there was one for the fitted sheet and the flat sheet. Finally, I tried it out, and not only did my sheets NOT wad up, but they came out of the dryer feeling fresher, feeling more dry, and unwrinkled! I will be buying a set of these for each of my immediate family members and close friends! What a great gift!!!" — katy Get a two-pack from Amazon for $18.98 (available in a four-pack). 6. A jar of the TikTok-famous Pink Stuff that's totally worth ALL the hype. My jaw is quite LITERALLY on the floor every time I scroll on TikTok and see this stuff in action. This paste plays no games when it's time to get tidy. Tough on grease and stains on almost any surface, leaves no scratches, and it's vegan! Sounds like the bomb dot com to me. See it in action on TikTok ! Promising review: " This is one of those 'changed my life' products that you come across every once in a while . I have tried so many different things to clean my clear glass shower door and just end up wasting time, money, and effort. The reviews and price of this product sold me on it. I love the smell (very subtle), and I used it with a basic sponge on my shower door. It did take a little effort, but not bad and yielded amazing results . I then got excited about the other possibilities and have used it in the inside of my oven door with similar results . It’s great. You won’t be disappointed." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $5.97 (available with a scrubbing sponge). 7. A 12-pack of dual-sided shower curtain hooks to address what a pain in the neck it is to hook and unhook shower curtains and liners. You'll be able to easily hang both shower necessities SEPARATELY. I am shooketh. And they're easy to slide?! Honeyyyy, take my money. Although they say that they're rust-resistant, everyone's experience is different. Many shower hooks do eventually rust and have to be swapped out. Still a pretty awesome and suuuuuper convenient option. Promising review: "I may have been out of touch but I'd never seen double-sided shower hooks like these. Being able to take down the liner for washing without removing the outer curtain and vice versa is fabulous . — CJ Maltby Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $5.69+ (available in five colors). 8. A bottle of professional-grade callus-removing gel that'll quickly remove all those calluses. Personally, as a dancer, I'm intrigued, 'cause holy guacamole, these results are mind-blowing. Just presoak your feet, apply the gel, let sit for 5–10 minutes, and rinse! It's recommended you go back in afterward with a foot file just to make sure no residue or dead skin is left behind. Want to know more? Check out our full Lee Beauty Callus Remover write-up ! Promising review: "I have the driest heels, and this is the ONLY product that has ever worked . Before I used this, my heels had some pretty deep cracks and now they're almost baby soft again . But please follow the directions... I left it on my super-dry, thick-callused heels for only three minutes, and the calluses were literally melting off ! Wonderful product! So glad I don't have to go soak my feet in those tubs at the nail salon anymore." — Kiki Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three scents and in a two-pack). 9. A volcanic stone face roller to soak up excess face oil even if you're wearing makeup. This baby is reusable AND washable!! So if you wanna toss those blotting papers, be my guest. Promising review: "I first saw this online, and it looked like it worked very well in the video that I watched. I use oil-blotting sheets a lot, but I thought if this roller ball worked, it would be way more convenient as it is reusable and washable. This does not move your makeup at all, and it literally makes your face look completely matte, soaking up all of the oil! Super easy to clean." — Courtney Get it from Amazon for $9.31 (available in another style and in refill packs). 10. A bleach-free weekly shower spray that'll clean your shower till' it sparkles, but that's not all, friends. This baby also prevents future soap scum buildup. Spray it, let it sit for 8–12 hours (so probz spray before bed), then wake up to a totally new shower. Promising review: " Best product ever! It's made my cleaning easier . Just spray it and leave it overnight, and in the morning, rinse it well with water. I scrub the tiles sometimes for a shinier look and sometimes I just spray it two or three hours before cleaning and don't need to leave it overnight. It's an amazing product. I've been using it for about a month, and my faucets are shinier than ever. I love this product." — Maisha Ahmed Get it from Amazon for $19.19+ (available in two scents, two sizes, and in a two-pack). 11. A three-pack of velvet pocket scrunchies with zipper storage for those no-pocket, no-purse days where you're forced to use a different, strange place, like your bra. It'll be a lot less awkward taking your credit card out of a scrunchie to pay at the grocery store than reaching into your bra or sock and handing the cashier the credit card you pulled outta there. Promising review: "I love these hair scrunches. They are very comfortable around your wrist, and I love the fact that I’m able to store money along with lipstick. It’s great when you're on the go, at a party, or even at school. The zipper is well-made, and so is the hair tie." — YJORDAN Get a three-pack from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in seven color combinations). 12. A mini ChomChom roller that'll pick up fur and lock it inside the roller for easy peasy cleanup. And this reusable baby doesn't lose its effectiveness after use! Now, you can have your fave pet hair picker-upper with you at all times and use it to get your cat's hair and lint off of your clothes. ChomChom Roller is a Massachusetts-based small biz creating an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to sticky lint rollers. Promising review: "We absolutely love the original ChomChom for our furniture because we have TWO super fluffy dogs. I saw this small one and immediately got it, and we love it, too. It removes the hair from your clothes and clears it off of the rollers as you use it, so the hair doesn't get back on your clothes. It's super easy to use and works great. " — Lindsey Mays Get it from Amazon for $19.99 . 13. Dress Weights for those days when you wanna wear a dress on a super windy day. Where have these been all our lives?! Am I late to the party? No more free shows or avoiding dresses altogether. Stick these under your dress or skirt and avoid a Marilyn Monroe moment. Dress Strong is a New York-based small biz that focuses on keeping your "cheeks in check" with handmade reusable dress weights. Promising review: " Suuuuper helpful and quick to put on a dress! Convenient storage and really stays on there ! Had them on my bridesmaid dress and was running/dancing around in Texas heat for about 12 hours, and they stayed on! Thank goodness, too; otherwise, the guests would've gotten a free show 😂. Wonderful product. Would buy 10x over again! " — Allison Get a set of four from Dress Strong on Etsy for $18.99+ (available in multipacks). 14. A Better Breader that'll *perfectly* coat your chicken in batter and seasoning so you can get the most delicious fried wings. Simply add your batter and seasoning to this, throw your meat or veggies in, give it a shake, and use some tongs to take 'em out. No more flour covered fingers! It's also perfect to take on the go! Promising review: "This all-in-one solution makes the messy process of breading chicken, fish, or vegetables a breeze . The design is simple yet ingenious, with three compartments that streamline the breading process—just add your breading ingredients, dip your food, and voila! The result? Perfectly coated, evenly breaded dishes every time, without the usual mess and hassle. Cleanup is a snap, too, thanks to its dishwasher-safe construction. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice cook, this breading station will level up your culinary game and make you wonder how you've ever lived without it . Highly recommended for anyone who loves homemade breaded dishes but hates the cleanup afterward." — Colleen Get it from Amazon for $14.99 . 15. A handy adjustable measuring spoon so you'll have ALL your kitchen measuring tools in ONE spoon. No more bajillion table/teaspoons on a little ring takin' up *precious* drawer space, just slide to the measurement you need! It's giving me Zenon vibes, it's like I'm living in the year 3000 with the Jo Bros. It measures wet ingredients from 1 milliliter up to 15 milliliters and dry ingredients from 1/4 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon. AND it's dishwasher safe! Promising review: "One measuring spoon to replace several...how can you go wrong? The two pieces completely separate so you can wash it thoroughly! Pleased with my purchase and the amount of room it just freed up in my drawer!" — zonneschijn Get it from Amazon for $7.95 . 16. A rechargeable electric lighter that's windproof, splashproof, portable, and sooo convenient. Don't you HATE trying to light your candles and realizing that your lighter is dead? No more constantly having to buy new ones — get yourself one that'll last you! Promising review: "I love this lighter. I purchased it back in 2022, and it's going on three years of me owning it. Back when I bought it, I was tired of always needing a lighter and either not having one or, when I did find one, it was dead. So I found this one and read the reviews and decided to get it. Almost three years into owning one, and I will never go back to standard lighters , running out of lighter fluid or burning my darn finger. I can honestly say this is probably the best purchase I made on Amazon to date. I would highly suggest this lighter or something similar to anyone looking to stop using boring, limited lighters. The design is so sleek and small you can take it with you on the go; just got to make sure it's fully charged ." — rebelliouslegacy Get it from Amazon for $7.59+ (available in nine colors). 17. A Shark Tank- approved set of two car seat gap fillers so nothing falls into that little car gap, also known as the Bermuda Triangle. These would be super useful if you're like me — clumsy and drop literally everything into this black hole. The seat gap filler is flexible and fits into most cars. The pack comes with two gap fillers (one for both the driver and passenger sides), a sticky pad for keeping items like your phone from sliding around, and an LED car light. Promising review: "I have to admit, my expectations weren't very high. I thought it was more of a joke when my husband got this for me for Christmas. Little did I realize it would be one of my favorite gadgets ever ! I don't know if I realized just how many things went missing in my seat gap. It has really saved a lot of things from disappearing into that black hole. It was easy enough to fit into my car and it's soft! It's just like an extension of my seat, except it fits every curve of my seat! There really isn't another product that compares to this . That's why I gave it 5 stars!" — Tessa Forbes Get a pair from Amazon for $19.99 . 18. A pair of fleece-lined tights that look sheer so you don't have to sacrifice being warm when you wanna wear a skirt or dress. Look fire *and* save yourself from being miserably freezing?! Straight-up witchcraft. Promising reviews: "Okay, these fleece-lined tights are seriously amazing! I was a bit skeptical at first, but they actually do look like regular sheer stockings on the outside while keeping you super warm with the fleece inside. It’s like magic 🙌. The fabric is so soft and stretchy; I wore them all day and didn't have that annoying sagging or bunching thing going on. I’ve rocked them under dresses and I even layered them under jeans on a super cold day, and they were perfect. The high waist is also a nice touch — it makes everything look smooth without squeezing you to death. 😅 Trust me, these are gonna be your new winter BFF! " — Mitra "Love it! It looks like you're wearing nothing, but keeps you warm because they're thick. I’m African American and I was a little hesitant about if this would match my skin tone, but it did. " — Toni Taylor Get them from Amazon for $9.79+ (available in women's sizes XS–3XL, seven colors, and in two-packs). 19. An adjustable hairband specifically designed for thick, curly hair and braids. These babies will give you the perfect puff, pineapple, ponytail, you name it. And it won't be too tight orrr too loose. Promising review: " If I could give it 10 stars, I would. I love this product. It's easy to use and it truly doesn't give you any headache, nor does it snag your hair out. I have thick 4c hair and I'm able to put my hair in a puff with ease and wear the band all day long and adjust the tightness or looseness throughout the day if needed without messing up my hairstyle ." — Cutiepie Get it from Amazon for $9.95 (available in nine colors and in multipacks). 20. A six-pack of Keurig cleaner pods you can simply put through a cycle on your machine to get rid of all the gross crud and built-up coffee grinds in there. The first time cleaning might take a few extra pods, BUT use them weekly and your Keurig will be easier to clean. You'd be surprised how much better your coffee tastes after your Keurig is clean! Promising review: " These cleaning cups are amazing!!!! I am embarrassed to admit that I've never cleaned out my Keurig in the few years that I've had it. 🤦🏻‍♀️ My first run-through with these cups was completely disgusting!! As you can see in photo #1 (see photos above!), it looks like a freshly brewed cup of coffee 🤢 but sadly, no, that's the disgusting buildup that's been brewing in my Keurig for the past few years! By picture #8, I had put another cleaning cup in to really clean it well. I kept running it after I took pictures and ran it until completely clear. I will definitely be using these once a week as recommended !" — Suzanne C. Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.95 (available in 12-, and 18-packs). 21. A creamy oatmeal-scented paw butter to nourish dry, cracked paws and noses. Use it before and after walks to protect and comfort your pooch's paws from super hot or cold weather — the fur babe deserves it! Promising review: "We live in Chicago, and the winters are brutal on our black Lab's paws. The salt and snow were cracking his pads, and although our dog wasn't whining or showing any pain, there was no way that a crack in his pad felt good. We put this on his paws once a day and noticed an improvement. We would take him out to play fetch and apply it the second we came back inside while he was still tired and panting so that he wouldn't lick it all off. It worked well enough that we'll buy it again next winter ." — Todd Snyder Get it from Amazon for $7.29+ (available in two scents). 22. Some miniature spatulas , another Shark Tank- approved product, so you can scoop out every bit of lotion, foundation, jam, ketchup...whatever it is that you're beating to squeeze out the last drops. I get it! It feels like soooo much foundation goes to waste when it's getting low, but not anymore!! The set comes with one spatula with a 6-inch handle and another with a 12-inch handle. Promising review: "So worth it! I'm so happy with it. You will definitely save money using this. I think about how much I could have saved if this was invented 30 years ago. I mostly use it for small makeup jars. I tested out the longer one on an 18-ounce lotion, and it worked fine. Some reviews complain about not being able to get every curve and corner of their container...oh please...You get so much more than you would without it." — Liz Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.99 . 23. A heated shiatsu massage pillow to relieve your sore, tight muscles. Ahhh, we love luxury! Fire this massage pillow up with the included power adaptor and enjoy pre-timed 20-minute sessions with auto shutoff and overheat protection! Promising review: "My wife and I got this pillow for her mom during the holidays and she raved so much we decided to get our own. And what a great decision! This massage pillow provides amazing relief for back and shoulder pain. I have tried so many things, and what I love about this pillow is that I don't have to hold the massager. I can just lean back, place it on the spot on my shoulder or back that is tight, and relax. I have definitely noticed a difference after a month of use — my shoulders are no longer so tense, and the range of motion in my back feels freer. The heat is also a great touch, and the protective sleeve helps to keep it from getting too hot. If you're on the fence about whether or not to buy, I highly recommend!" — Abcxyz Get it from Amazon for $49.25+ (available in five colors). 24. A pack of 40 acne patches because a pimple is NOT ruining our day babe! These patches absorb all the gunk and speed up the pimple-healing process without picking or popping. Psh, what pimple? Promising review: "I ordered these on a whim after a long day of isolation and internet browsing and because I have a terrible habit of picking at spots on my face and making them into something much much worse. These magical spots are life-changing!!! Put them on before bed (or before work) on clean skin and FORGET about them. You don't notice they're there — unless you go to pick at something and then YOU STOP!! Leave them in place for at least six hours and then peel them off. They come off easily (but not so easy that they come off while sleeping) and the amount of 'blech' they suck out is amazing !!! So a spot that was going to erupt into Mount Vesuvius ends up being NOTHING !!!! I've purchased six packages and will keep buying them . An amazing value!" — Jennifer Nothdurft Get a 40-pack from Amazon for $6.11+ (available 80-, 120-, and 200-packs). 25. A two-pack of dip clips to make dunking your nuggets and fries in the car *so* much easier. This Shark Tank- approved little baby clips right onto your car vent and holds your sauce, so on those days when you gotta eat in your car, you don't have to worry about making a mess or struggling to dip your food in your fave sauce. Seriously, the best. Saucemoto is a small biz founded in 2017. OK, besties, so I have not stopped bragging about my little chicky nuggy dip clip since I got it Christmas 2021. This is by far one of my favorite things I've ever received. I LOVE chicken nuggets. I wanna be a chicken nugget, but I did not like trying to dunk my nuggets while in the car. This thing is so convenient for days that I don't have much time to eat and just have to grab something quick and keep going. Get yourself one if you're nugget-obsessed and overly busy like me; everyone who's seen it in my car has gotten one for themselves and not regretted it! Promising review: " This is the greatest invention . I’m in my car a lot, and anytime I order any fast food, I always have to order dip, doesn’t matter what I’m eating. This thing came in handy not only for me but for my son, too . Perfect for me because it comes with two holders, and I like at least two dips at a time. I know I’m making this out to sound like it’s a billion-dollar invention, but I just love it. It’s a very handy thing to have in your car . I’m forever spilling my sauces all over the place because there is nowhere to put them, and then I saw this and knew I just had to try it. It’s a total game-changer in my car . Thanks to whoever invented this. It’s GREAT!! " — Denise Get a two-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors and in four- and six-packs). 26. Slow cooker liners so you can have one less dish to scrub after dinner. Plus, it'll be perfect for whipping up two different dips at the same time whenever you're hosting. You can also use 'em for heavier meals, like roasts, these things can handle pretty much anything! Promising reviews: "I've been using this brand for a while now...I own a KitchenAid slow cooker, which fits well over the ceramic pot. I cook many recopies on high, med, and low, and keep warm. I use them all, and this bag never fails me ... With this liner, the cleanup is zero for the pot, and you only need to wash your slow cooker lid. It's so easy, and it's one of the greatest inventions. I'm new to slow cooking but have used these liners from day one. I would hate to clean a large, heavy ceramic pot with food all stuck on the bottom. My worst nightmare. I give this product FIVE STARS." — Triple Bogie Get a box of six liners from Amazon for $3.48 . 27. A shoe stretch spray because you're pulling out those winter boots and remembering what a pain they are to squeeze into. This will help to gradually stretch out your favorite pair of over-the-knee boots without staining or fading 'em. You'll wanna keep this stuff around every year. BuzzFeed Shopping editor Amanda Davis swears by this spray. Check out her Foot Matters Shoe Stretch spray review for more details! Oh! And BTW, Foot Matters is a small biz that specializes in shoe-stretching products. Promising reviews: "My sandals were awfully tight on the top of my feet. I tried everything before finally finding this spray. Nothing helped; there was no relief. Then I tried this spray, and it moved heaven and earth, and now my sandals are perfect! " — Swissharpist "I injured my foot a few months back, and most of my shoes don't fit. I've tried stretchers, hair dryers, wearing multiple socks — everything. I bought this stuff, and within a half hour, my problems were solved . Try this method first." — Susan Olson Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 28. A set of cactus-shaped dryer balls that'll help reduce dryer time. The little spikes help open clothes up to allow the warm air to move faster between them. Reviewers are also saying it helps catch human and pet hair! You'll love not needing to run the dryer twice to dry your laundry. Promising reviews: " This product has reduced drying time by 30 minutes for my heavy towels . Towels are fluffier and I don't have to cool dry them to get any leftover dog hair. Lint catcher is fuller after drying with the cactus and less lint and hair on my clothes ." — KayioAustinChapman "I have two cats, and not a day goes by that my clothes wouldn't be covered in loose fur, even after coming out of the washing machine. Not with these! The little spikes grab the fur, and get it into the black abyss that is the lint tray at my local laundromat. " — Everett Lier Get a set of four from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in five colors and in six-packs). 29. A set of baking sheet dividers so you don't run out of counter space when you're baking your famous holiday cookies. No more putting your trays of snickerdoodles in unusual places, cuz now you can just easily stack 'em! Lion 3D Print Lab is a New Jersey-based small biz that specializes in 3C prints like baking products, nameplates, and ornaments. Promising review: " These are a lifesaver for small kitchens with big time cookie baking! So great to be able to stack trays and not have a huge amount of counter space taken up by cooling cookies." — Liz V. Get a 4-pack from Lion 3D Print Lab on Etsy for $12.59+ (available in six colors and also in 8-, 12-, and 16-packs). 30. A grape and tomato zip slicer because with all the things you already have to do for meal prep, do you really wanna sit there and individually cut up cherry tomatoes for your salad? Didn't think so. This'll get it done in no time. Promising review: "Saw this on TikTok. Had to try it. LOVE IT. So fast and easy. Washes easily and we just lay it out to dry. But we have also put it in the dishwasher too . Saves us so much time and no more almost slicing fingers cutting tiny tomatoes. Wish I’d had this when the kids were tiny and I needed to cut their grapes. Would’ve saved me time." — Mermaid Get it from Amazon for $14.99 . You discovering the wine wands after waking up with a killer wine headache: The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

 

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Two Chinese astronauts accomplished a world-record spacewalk this week, lasting over nine hours, as confirmed by China's Manned Space Agency. This achievement underscores Beijing's rapidly advancing space initiatives. Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong carried out the historic spacewalk from the Tiangong space station, exceeding the previous record set by NASA in 2001. Their tasks included installing debris protection on the station's exterior. China's ambitious space projects continue to progress, with its recent milestones placing it competitively alongside the U.S., including a Mars rover landing and lunar sample retrieval. China aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, mirroring efforts by NASA's Artemis program. (With inputs from agencies.)

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VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — Valparaiso hired longtime Marietta coach Andy Waddle as its new football coach, athletic director Laurel Hosmer announced Monday. Waddle is scheduled to be formally introduced on campus Wednesday. He spent the last 12 seasons turning around the Division III program located in Southeastern Ohio. There, he went 55-61 after inheriting a winless team. He led the Pioneers to their first 8-0 start last season and matched the 1920 squad's school record with a 13-game winning streak that started in 2023. In 2024, Marietta made its first postseason appearance since 1973. Waddle went 16-5 over the past two seasons and produced seven winning records over the last eight seasons. The Pioneers had only two winning seasons in the previous 20 years. “I think there is a great group of young men on the (Valparaiso) roster, and we’re excited to invest in those student-athletes and continue to add more high-quality people and football players to the program,” Waddle said of the program located in Indiana's northwest corner. “I think Valpo is not only an outstanding fit for me professionally, but also an outstanding fit for me and my family.” Waddle spent eight seasons working with the defense as an assistant for his alma mater, Wittenberg, where he was an all-conference defensive back. He also has coached at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and at Maryville College in Tennessee. “His experience building success and winning culture as a head coach, passion for developing student-athletes on and off the field and high character made it clear he was the right leader for our football program,” Hosmer said in a statement. The move comes two weeks after Hosmer announced the school would not give Landon Fox a contract extension after his deal expired. Fox was 21-42 in six seasons at Valparaiso. 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

Putin Reflects on Ukraine War, Sovereignty and Nuclear Doctrine in Year-End Press ConferenceWASHINGTON — Senate Democrats reelected Chuck Schumer as party leader on Tuesday as the party moves into a deeply uncertain time, with no real consensus on a strategy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. From left, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., gather after Senate Democratic leadership elections for the next session of Congress on Tuesday in Washington. Schumer faced no opposition in the party leadership elections, in which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was also reelected to the No. 2 spot and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the new No. 3. In a statement, Schumer, of New York, said he was honored to move the party forward “during this crucial period for our country.” “Our preference is to secure bipartisan solutions wherever possible and look for ways to collaborate with our Republican colleagues to help working families,” Schumer said. “However, our Republican colleagues should make no mistake about it, we will always stand up for our values.” While Schumer remains popular with his colleagues, it is a bleak moment for Senate Democrats, who were hopeful they could hold the majority for the third election in a row. Instead they lost four seats and will be in the minority, 53-47, as Trump takes office. Trump dialed in Tuesday with Senate Republicans as they began laying the groundwork for control of government. The brief call was more celebratory than a prescriptive policy agenda, according to those attending the private GOP retreat, urging senators to confirm his Cabinet nominees as they launch an agenda of tax cuts, deportations and other priorities. "It was a love fest," said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. “There was a real sense of unity in the room.” Republicans want to notch an early accomplishment after Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20. Incoming Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota outlined a potential roadmap during the private retreat at the Library of Congress, detailing a potential strategy that would have senators working on an initial legislative package — energy, border security and defense priorities — that could be approved in the first 30 days of the new administration. Next, he explained that the senators would turn to reviving the expiring tax cuts from Trump's first term. The new Congress convenes Jan. 3, and the Senate expects to quickly begin holding confirmation hearings for Trump’s top Cabinet nominees. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also addressed the GOP senators — noting his slim majority in the House. He “emphasized the need for unity heading into the first 100 days agenda,” his spokesman Taylor Haulsee said. Unlike eight years ago, when opposition to Trump’s narrow election win fueled enthusiasm in their party, Democratic lawmakers and many of their voters are exhausted and looking for answers. So far, Democrats stayed relatively quiet on Trump’s nominees and plans for office. Schumer declined to comment on specifics of any nominees, instead allowing Republican reaction to dominate the conversation. On Monday, Schumer wrote a public letter to Thune, asking him to resist Trump’s pressure to allow him to appoint some of his nominees without a Senate vote and to insist on full FBI background checks for all nominees. But he has said little else about Trump’s upcoming presidency. While some have been more aggressive — Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a former chairwoman of the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee, said that Trump’s nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department is “dangerous” and “nothing short of disaster” — several Democratic senators say they are saving their strength and figuring out a focus. “Everybody’s in kind of a wait-and-see mode right now,” said Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, part of Schumer’s leadership team. “Under the previous Trump administration, there was chaos all the time, all the time. And I do think it is important to pick your battles.” It’s still unclear which battles they will pick, and Democrats have differing opinions on how to fight them. Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, who is also in Democratic leadership, says “anyone who has a grand strategy is full of crap” but thinks Democrats, for now, “need to keep things simple.” “We need to talk about people, protect people, advocate for people,” he said. “Do not talk about protecting institutions. Do not talk about advocating for institutions. It’s a not just a rhetorical shift, but an attitudinal shift. We have to remind ourselves, that we’re not fighting for programs and projects and line items and agencies or norms. We’re fighting for people.” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he’s spent a lot of time reflecting, and “I don’t think anyone can claim this was a policy election,” and Democrats need to look at cultural issues. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says Democrats just need to “pace ourselves” and avoid the “massive freakout” of Trump's last term. Democrats should be preparing, says Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal. He says Schumer is picking his battles “very thoughtfully and strategically.” “We’re thinking about how we protect against using the FBI, or the prosecutorial authority of the Justice Department for retribution against critics,” Blumenthal said. “How we elevate these issues in a way that American people understand them.” Democrats know better now “the extraordinary challenges we’re going to face,” Blumenthal said. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. compete in the ice dance rhythm dance program at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series competition in Tokyo, Japan, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) A discarded plastic bag floats in the waters of Botafogo beach in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) China's President Xi Jinping, left center, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, walk into the Alvorada palace after attending a welcoming ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova competes against Great Britain's Katie Boulter during a Billie Jean King Cup semi-final match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A surfer rides on an artificial wave in the river 'Eisbach' at the 'Englischer Garten' (English Garden) downtown in Munich, Germany, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) A woman carries a gift basket as she arrives at a park to attend a friend's birthday party, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Kampala, Uganda. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Tania hugs her brother-in-law Baruc after rescuing some of their belongings from their flooded house after the floods in Paiporta, Valencia, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks at a monitor backstage, just before taking the stage for her final campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President-elect Donald Trump listens during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) A resident returns to his burned village, Monday Nov. 25, 2024, one day after a fire broke out leaving about 2,000 families homeless at a slum area in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Isaac Young rests his cheek on the family horse Rusty's forehead during farm chores before homeschooling, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Sunbury, Ohio. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Students from anti-discrimination movements attack an Awami League supporter in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) A young girl holds a "Black Voters for Harris-Walz" sign outside of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' election night watch party at Howard University, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) A man looks from a damaged building a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Ramat Gan, central Israel, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Visitors walk through the 'Cathedral' on the Christmas light trail as it returns for its12th year with a showcase of new installations set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site landscape of Kew Gardens in London, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Venezuelan migrant Alvaro Calderini carries his niece across a river near Bajo Chiquito, Panama, after walking across the Darien Gap from Colombia on their way north to the United States, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) An aerial view shows a packed parking lot at Citadel Outlets in Commerce, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, as early Black Friday shoppers arrive at the mall. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Israeli soldiers holding their weapons bathe with residents in a hot water pool coming from a drilling project which exposed a subterranean hydrothermal spring near Mount Bental in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, on the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Voters stand in line outside a polling place at Madison Church, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York) Molten lava flows on the road to the Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, after the volcanic eruption that started Wednesday, on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco) Firefighters and sheriff's deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home as the Mountain Fire burns in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Supporters of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) celebrate the victory of candidate Yamandú Orsi in the presidential run-off election in Montevideo, Uruguay, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) People gather at the site where former Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed by Israeli airstrikes late September during a memorial ceremony in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Katia, 11, with her grandmother and mother sit in an armored minivan during en evacuation by the "White Angels" police unit in Kurakhove, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Anton Shtuka) People clean mud from a house affected by floods, in Algemesi, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Cattle stand on a heap of textile waste at the Old Fadama settlement of Accra, Ghana, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu) Family members accompany the coffin that contain the remains of Mexican actress Silvia Pinal, during a memorial service at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Mexico City, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Pinal, an actress from Mexico's Golden Age of cinema in the 1940s and 50s, died Thursday. She was 93. (AP Photo/Aurea Del Rosario) A family arrive to cross into Lebanon through the Jousieh border crossing, between Syria and Lebanon, Nov. 28, 2024, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

IOWA CITY — Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara made a post to social media on Friday to reaffirm his commitment to the Hawkeyes. In a post to his personal Instagram account, McNamara described himself as "proud member" of the Iowa football program. Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara throws against Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. "It has come to my attention that there are individuals in the media circulating rumors about my current status on the Iowa Football Team," McNamara wrote. "These are ridiculous accusations and 100% false. My status on the same as it's always been — a proud member of this football team." The a picture of McNamara participating in Iowa's pregame swarm, hand-in-hand with his Hawkeyes teammates, accompanied the statement. Rumors questioning McNamara's status started to swirl on social media earlier this week. The rumors claimed McNamara departed the football program or refused to play for the remainder of the season after back-to-back starts for Brendan Sullivan. The "clearly cloudy" description of Iowa's quarterback situation from head coach Kirk Ferentz further added fuel to the rumors. On Tuesday, Ferentz indicated fourth-string walk-on Jackson Stratton would start against Maryland despite McNamara occupying the top spot on the quarterback depth chart on Monday. In his post, McNamara clarified the injury he sustained against Northwestern and which forced him out for Iowa's win over Wisconsin and loss to UCLA. "I suffered a concussion versus Northwestern and have been doign everything in my power to get back on the field," McNamara wrote. "I have NOT been cleared to play yet. I was cleared to participate in practice this past Sunday but had an adverse reaction which is common for someone coming out of protocol. "I have been lifting and attending meetings as much as possible but have not physically participated in practice Monday through Thursday of this week." The injury and his adverse reaction prevented McNamara from making the trip to Maryland this weekend. The graduate senior added he remains intent on returning to the field for Iowa's season finale against Nebraska next Friday. "I am working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequent as possible," McNamara said. "...I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win." A post shared by Cade McNamara (@cademac.12) McNamara appeared in the first eight games of the season and completed 60.5% of his passes for 1,017 yards and six touchdowns with five interceptions before exiting in the second half of a win over Northwestern. With McNamara and Sullivan out, Stratton is expected to start his first career game at Iowa. The former Colorado State transfer went 3-of-6 for 28 yards in relief of an injured Sullivan against UCLA. With the Rams, Stratton went 4-of-17 for 78 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions in four appearances as a freshman in 2022. The Hawkeyes face Maryland at 11 a.m. on Saturday with broadcast coverage provided by Big Ten Network. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz offered the oxymoronic and ambiguous phrase 'clearly cloudy' when discusses who his quarterback would be against Maryland on Saturday. Despite Maryland's losing record and three-game losing streak, the Iowa Hawkeyes head into Saturday's matchup with the Terrapins focused on being "ready to go" and starting fast. In the wake of Mark Farley's midseason retirement announcement, Iowa coaches sent their congratulations to the 24-year head coach of Northern Iowa football and weighed in on Farley's final message. Get local news delivered to your inbox! University of Iowa Athletics Beat Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Mounties in Richmond, B.C., say a man has been arrested for allegedly uttering threats against police while livestreaming on a social media platform. RCMP say they received the complaint about the man on Friday morning as he stood outside Richmond City Hall. Police say officers flooded the area and made an arrest without any incident. Insp. Michael Cohee, with RCMP investigative services, says they commend the person who recognized the potential risk and called police. He says they take public safety and threats of violence “very seriously,” whether they are online or in person. Police haven’t said what charges are being considered but say the investigation is ongoing.None

REDMOND, Ore., Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expion360 Inc. (Nasdaq: XPON) (“Expion360” or the “Company”), an industry leader in lithium-ion battery power storage solutions, announced today the resignation of Greg Aydelott, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective December 31, 2024, due to family health concerns. Mr. Aydelott intends to remain available to the Company on an ongoing basis as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition. The Company’s Board of Directors has appointed the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Brian Schaffner, as interim Chief Financial Officer, and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, effective December 31, 2024, and is conducting a search process to identify a new CFO. Mr. Schaffner previously served as the CFO of Expion360 from March 2021 through January 2023. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, leadership team and employees, I would like to thank Greg for his outstanding service and commitment over the past three years," said Mr. Schaffner. "He has made significant contributions to Expion360’s success, including managing our growth, strengthening our balance sheet, enhancing our planning and budgeting process, and overseeing investments in new technologies and batteries.” “This has been an incredible journey with talented people, and it has been a privilege to help lead this passionate team,” said Mr. Aydelott. “I look forward to following the success of Expion360 for years to come.” About Expion360 Expion360 is an industry leader in premium lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries and accessories for recreational vehicles and marine applications, with residential and industrial applications under development. On December 19, 2023, the Company announced its entrance into the home energy storage market with the introduction of two premium LiFePO4 battery storage systems that enable residential and small business customers to create their own stable micro-energy grid and lessen the impact of increasing power fluctuations and outages. The Company’s lithium-ion batteries feature half the weight of standard lead-acid batteries while delivering three times the power and ten times the number of charging cycles. Expion360 batteries also feature better construction and reliability compared to other lithium-ion batteries on the market due to their superior design and quality materials. Specially reinforced, fiberglass-infused, premium ABS and solid mechanical connections help provide top performance and safety. With Expion360 batteries, adventurers can enjoy the most beautiful and remote places on Earth even longer. The Company is headquartered in Redmond, Oregon. Expion360 lithium-ion batteries are available today through more than 300 dealers, wholesalers, private-label customers, and OEMs across the country. To learn more about the Company, visit expion360.com . Forward-Looking Statements and Safe Harbor Notice This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements are subject to considerable risks and uncertainties. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are "forward-looking statements" and should be evaluated as such. Examples of such forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking words such as "projected," "expect," "possibility,” “believe,” “aim,” “goal,” “plan,” and "anticipate," or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements included in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing and impact of the executive transition, including Mr. Aydelott’s continuing role as a consultant to the Company, and the Company’s ability to build on its momentum and achieve its financial and strategic objectives. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements predicted, assumed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Company Contact: Brian Schaffner, CEO 541-797-6714 Email Contact External Investor Relations: Chris Tyson, Executive Vice President MZ Group - MZ North America 949-491-8235 XPON@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.usJames (Jim) “Red” C. Lastine, 83

 

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After a lackluster lunch at a shabby roadside diner, Mrs. Wang decided to take matters into her own hands. When the bus made a brief stop for a bathroom break, Mrs. Wang quietly slipped off the bus and approached a nearby local resident for assistance. It was then that she learned the shocking truth – the tour she had booked was a fraudulent scheme operated by a notorious scam artist preying on unsuspecting tourists.Century-old series resumes as South Carolina hosts Presbyterian

Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military didn't immediate respond to questions about the WHO chief's statement. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home." He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. What is known about a plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 of 67 people on board The crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan has killed 38 of 67 people on board. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijani capital Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons that aren’t fully clear yet. It crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan after flying east across the Caspian Sea. Officials in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia haven't commented on a possible cause of the crash pending an official investigation. Some commentators pointed out holes in the plane's tail section pictured after the crash as a sign that it could have been fired upon by air defense systems. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.The signatories of the statement include Nobel laureates from various fields such as physics, chemistry, medicine, and economics, underscoring the breadth and depth of expertise that stands in opposition to the Trump administration's choices. Among the most contentious nominations is that of Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a move that has raised significant alarm among environmental advocates and scientists alike.

Herscher delves into plans for new school buildingAs we navigate through these uncertain times, one thing remains clear – the resilience and dynamism of the A-share and Hong Kong stock markets continue to attract investors seeking growth opportunities. With over 5300 stocks soaring and both markets displaying strength and vitality, the outlook for Chinese and Hong Kong equities appears promising.

The 82nd Golden Globe Awards nominations were announced, creating a buzz in the entertainment industry. Among the most anticipated categories is Best Actress, which promises a fierce competition dubbed as a "clash of the titans" or, as some might say, a "battle of the gods."The real estate market has long been a pillar of the Chinese economy, playing a crucial role in driving economic growth and promoting social stability. The government's emphasis on stabilizing the real estate market underscores its recognition of the sector's significance and its commitment to maintaining a balanced and healthy market environment.By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different . The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. “There’s going to be a lot more tariffs, I mean, he’s pretty clear,” said Michael Stumo, the CEO of Coalition for a Prosperous America, a group that has supported import taxes to help domestic manufacturing. The president-elect posted on social media Monday that on his first day in office he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada until those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. Chinese imports would face additional tariffs of 10% until Beijing cracks down on the production of materials used in making fentanyl, Trump posted. Business groups were quick to warn about rapidly escalating inflation , while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would counter the move with tariffs on U.S. products. House Democrats put together legislation to strip a president’s ability to unilaterally apply tariffs this drastic, warning that they would likely lead to higher prices for autos, shoes, housing and groceries. Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.” “The economy department is preparing it,” Sheinbaum said. “If there are tariffs, Mexico would increase tariffs, it is a technical task about what would also benefit Mexico,” she said, suggesting her country would impose targeted import duties on U.S. goods in sensitive areas. House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require congressional approval for a president to impose tariffs due to claims of a national emergency, a largely symbolic action given Republicans’ coming control of both the House and Senate. “This legislation would enable Congress to limit this sweeping emergency authority and put in place the necessary Congressional oversight before any president – Democrat or Republican – could indiscriminately raise costs on the American people through tariffs,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. But for Trump, tariffs are now a tested tool that seems less politically controversial even if the mandate he received in November’s election largely involved restraining inflation. The tariffs he imposed on China in his first term were continued by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who even expanded tariffs and restrictions on the world’s second largest economy. Biden administration officials looked at removing Trump’s tariffs in order to bring down inflationary pressures, only to find they were unlikely to help significantly. Tariffs were “so new and unique that it freaked everybody out in 2017,” said Stumo, but they were ultimately somewhat modest. Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines at the start of 2018, moves that might have pushed up prices in those sectors even though they also overlapped with plans to open washing machine plants in Tennessee and South Carolina. His administration also levied tariffs on steel and aluminum, including against allies. He then increased tariffs on China, leading to a trade conflict and a limited 2020 agreement that failed to produce the promised Chinese purchases of U.S. goods. Still, the dispute changed relations with China as more U.S. companies looked for alternative suppliers in other countries. Economic research also found the United States may have sacrificed some of its “soft power” as the Chinese population began to watch fewer American movies. The Federal Reserve kept inflation roughly on target, but factory construction spending never jumped in a way that suggested a lasting gain in manufacturing jobs. Separate economic research found the tariff war with China did nothing economically for the communities hurt by offshoring, but it did help Trump and Republicans in those communities politically. When Trump first became president in 2017, the federal government collected $34.6 billion in customs, duties and fees. That sum more than doubled under Trump to $70.8 billion in 2019, according to Office of Management and Budget records. While that sum might seem meaningful, it was relatively small compared to the overall economy. America’s gross domestic product is now $29.3 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The total tariffs collected in the United States would equal less than 0.3% of GDP. The new tariffs being floated by Trump now are dramatically larger and there could be far more significant impacts. If Mexico, Canada, and China faced the additional tariffs proposed by Trump on all goods imported to the United States, that could be roughly equal to $266 billion in tax collections, a number that does not assume any disruptions in trade or retaliatory moves by other countries. The cost of those taxes would likely be borne by U.S. families, importers and domestic and foreign companies in the form of higher prices or lower profits. Former Biden administration officials said they worried that companies could piggyback on Trump’s tariffs — if they’re imposed — as a rationale to raise their prices, just as many companies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 boosted food and energy costs and gave several major companies the space to raise prices, according to their own earnings calls with investors. But what Trump didn’t really spell out is what might cause him to back down on tariffs and declare a victory. What he is creating instead with his tariff threats is a sense of uncertainty as companies and countries await the details to figure out what all of this could mean. “We know the key economic policy priorities of the incoming Trump administration, but we don’t know how or when they will be addressed,” said Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at EY-Parthenon. AP writer Mark Stevenson contributed to this report from Mexico City.

Elon Musk hits out at Sydney Morning Herald for ‘boring audiences to death’

As a smooth-talking media and political pundit, Colman Domingo ’s Muncie Daniels is used to commenting on politics and the news — not becoming the news — in The Madness . However, his fate will quickly change for the worse when we meet him in the new series. When the CNN personality discovers the dead body of a white supremacist in the woods near where he’s staying in the Poconos, he winds up in the crosshairs of law enforcement and possibly framed for murder — and even his lawyer friend Kwesi (Deon Cole) warns the silver-tongued Muncie, “You’re not going to be able to talk your way out of this.... They are going to pin all this on you.” In this paranoia-inducing Netflix thriller, Daniels finds himself in the middle of a sprawling conspiracy that delves into the darkest corners of society and explores the intersections between the wealthy and powerful, the alt-right, and other fringe movements. “[The series] is examining the climate we’re in right now,” Domingo teased to TV Insider. “Who sows those seeds of disinformation? Who’s puppeteering all of this?” To clear his name, Muncie must figure out whether to trust FBI agent Franco Quiñones (John Ortiz) and reconnect with his working-class, activist roots in Philadelphia while reuniting with his family, which includes teenage son Demetrius (Thaddeus J. Mixson), estranged wife Elena (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and daughter Kallie (Gabrielle Graham) from a previous relationship. “He’s trying to solve a crime,” creator Stephen Belber previews, “but at the same time he’s trying to solve something inside of himself.” To find out what else we should know about the new thrill ride, we spoke to The Color Purple and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star Colman Domingo — who played Victor Strand on Fear the Walking Dead for eight seasons, won an Emmy for Euphoria , and was nominated for a 2024 Oscar for the civil rights drama Rustin — about the bind in which Muncie finds himself in The Madness , the similarities he shares with the character, and the resonance of a story that speaks to our age of online disinformation and conspiracy theories. Why were you drawn to this series and this character? What about it made you say yes to it? Colman Domingo: There’s so much about it that is raising questions about who are we in America right now. What do you believe in? And what are you believing? What’s being fed to you? These are questions that I have deep in my heart, and the series is bringing out those thoughts I have in the back of my head. Like who is manipulating all of us? I do believe there’s people feeding the public misinformation, but it benefits people with money, power, and position. Are there similarities you share with Muncie? Wildly enough, he’s from my neighborhood, from West Philly. He’s a college professor. So am I. There’s a lot of similarities. He’s a public-facing person. Even some of his ideology, where he believes that if you just get people at the table to sit and have a civil conversation, things will get better. I do believe that. I actively do that in my life. And I thought, “Oh, I understand Muncie. I understand what he’s trying to do.” But then the series takes him on another journey to actually go more full-throttle and understand all the dynamics he’s been espousing but not really having to get in the mud with. Is Muncie’s journey in the series a metaphor for how we’re all trying to make sense of this firehose of facts and information, along with disinformation, conspiracy-mongering, and lies that are coming at us 24/7? Yeah. It’s your modern-day North By Northwest, your modern-day Three Days of the Condor. He’s an everyman who has to go on this journey that he’s not ready to go on. He didn’t even know he’s been preparing for it. He was just living his best life, has a great position at CNN, and has been studying jujitsu for his own health. But he didn’t know that he’d need all that to go down the rabbit hole for real. What’s Muncie’s relationship like with his estranged wife, son Demetrius, and his older daughter Kallie from another relationship? All of it is precarious. What’s going on between he and his wife, we made it a gray area. Maybe they both started out as young activists, and the other one moved into celebrity, and the other one is a college professor, and they’re just not meeting [each other] where they used to be. It was more about having a crisis of faith in each other. Then with his daughter [Kallie], he made choices when he was younger, in a relationship he was in before he went to an Ivy League school. So he’s sort of been a deadbeat dad in that way. Then with his younger son, he’s sort of an absentee father. He believes he’s doing the best that he can by providing financially and showing up when he can. But I think he’s been a bit selfish. So this whole crisis is helping him examine not only who he is, but who has he been—and not been—to his family. Now he’s got to do some relationship repair; at the same time, he’s trying to advocate and save his own life and protect his family. Has he lost himself a bit over the years in pursuit of success and ambition? I think so. But I think if you asked Muncie, he wouldn’t say that. I think he believed, no, it’s okay to change. It’s OK to have access and agency. But I think at some point he didn’t realize even in the position that he had, he was just all talk. He was just a talking head. He wasn’t actually doing anything but adding to the noise of the media circuit business. In the crisis that he goes through, how does his family help him to survive? I think he didn’t realize how much he needed them. When we meet him, he’s in a place of stasis. He’s been trying to write this book for years. So he decided to go to the Pocono mountains to try and start writing something. Then he goes on this journey. I think it’s a beautiful hero’s journey. He didn’t know he needed all these things. He didn’t know he needed a heart. He didn’t know he needed a brain...It is ‘no place like home.’ But he realized that his home was attached to other things like celebrity, clothing, and having access. But all of that became more superficial than he even imagined. Muncie was a housing activist in his youth, and he reconnects with his West Philly roots and the people in his life from that time. How does he change during the course of the series? I think it’s about helping him to bridge the two parts of himself. It’s one of the first arguments that my character has with the fantastic Eisa Davis, who plays Renee, while hosting a show on CNN. And it’s at the core of the problem. For me, it’s a question of, “What’s the best way?” He’s like, “I am Black and I don’t have to actually be out on the streets anymore. I have more access here on television where I can affect a lot of more people.” And so for me, it’s raising the question of, “Is that right or is that wrong? Or is there a balance of both?” How do race and systemic racism factor into the story of a Black man who gets blamed for the death of a white supremacist? How do you think that will be eye-opening for some viewers? Race plays into it a great deal. Muncie is someone who is probably very adept at code-switching [adjusting one’s style of speech, appearance, and expression to conform to a given community and reduce the potential for discrimination]. When you have celebrity and access, you live more in a bubble where you’re probably not perceived in certain ways. But when all of that goes away, once Muncie has to let go of his Range Rover, his Tom Ford suits, and his position at CNN, he’s perceived as just another ordinary Black man on the street. So even when he goes into that New York shop and changes into a T-shirt, baseball cap, and hoodie [to disguise himself], he’s trying to normalize. Before, he believed was a bit more elevated in some way. I love the question that [his estranged wife] Elena asked him: “What were you doing going over to this white man’s house out in the woods? You felt like you had the privilege to do that? You have to always be careful. You don’t know what’s on the other side. You’re a Black man in America.” He forgot for a moment. What does the title, The Madness , refer to? I think it’s about the madness that we’re all living in when it comes to the 24-hour news cycle and trying to download and sift through information. It’s maddening! And also, I think the madness is also internal, that internal struggle of like, “Who are you, and what do you believe in? Who is real, and who is not?” I think that’s the madness. The Madness , Series Premiere, Thursday, November 28, Netflix More Headlines:

The great liberaliser: Manmohan Singh dies at 92

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The Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors presented by the Coalition for Faith and Media will be celebrated Dec. 4. The honorees are individuals who are supporting the frequently underrepresented theme of faith in entertainment storytelling. This class of 2024 Visionary Awards presented by CFAM represents diverse portrayals of faith and spirituality that are broadly compelling and nuanced. “Bob Marley: One Love” Bob Marley’s fans have long been brought together by joyous songs, but his revolutionary ideas are sometimes overlooked because the music is so uplifting. His son Ziggy Marley says, “In order to better understand Bob’s message you have to look past the legend and see the human being, his struggles, emotionally, spiritually and physically.” The film “Bob Marley: One Love” does just that. It reminds us ofMarley’s courage in pursuit of his mission (dare we call it a vocation?), showing him performing days after an assassination attempt, his painful self-exile to London and the creation of the album “Exodus,” a work of masterpiece. CFAM recognizes this film for shining a light on how Bob Marley’s spiritual beliefs gave him strength, informed his world view and propelled his work for social good through love. Viola Davis and Julius Tennon Founders, JuVee Prods. Davis and Tennon’s relationship began when he invited her to church. They married in 2003 and, in 2011, founded JuVee Prods. “Spirituality and faith are values we hold,” they say. “It is important to us that we always look inward to the humanity of the characters and present who they are within the narrative.” The company’s mission is to upend the idea of “impossible,” empowering a new, inclusive generation of artists, giving established artists a safe place to explore new paths and “subverting classic storytelling with fresh takes.” Among JuVee projects are “Emanuel,” about the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and the upcoming biopic “Barbara Jordan.” Erica Lipez Executive producer, “We Were the Lucky Ones” Images of “the old country” tend to lean toward the poor, small-town Jews like those in “Fiddler on the Roof,” but European Jewish life before the Holocaust also included sophisticated, urban families. Drawing on Georgia Hunter’s best-selling account of her own family’s struggles during World War II, Lipez and her writing team re-created a vanished world and community in Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones.” The 12 members of the Kurc family, says Lipez, “all have a different relationship to their culture, faith and spirituality.” Over nine years, they’re scattered by war, but at the end, “they miraculously reunite around the Passover table... forever altered, but bound together by love, humanity and the shared rituals of their religion and history.” Arian Moayed Actor, writer, director, philanthropist A nominee for numerous awards, including Tonys (“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” “A Doll’s House”) and Emmys (“Succession”), Moayed stays busy giving back to his adopted home of New York. Born in Iran and raised in the Midwest, he has taught in New York City schools for more than 20 years and is co-founder of Waterwell, a community-organizing and education company in Gotham. He’s been a consistent voice calling for accurate Muslim inclusion and is outspoken about the importance of spirituality in his work. “Spirituality guides all of us toward the collective rather than the individualistic, pushing community over everything else,” he says. “It pushes us to ask big, universal questions that resonate with people of all faiths, people of all backgrounds.” Jessica Matten Actor, writer Matten (“Dark Winds,” “Rez Ball”) has ancestors from two ethnic groups Hollywood has often denigrated: Canada’s First Nations on one side and Chinese on the other. Over her career as an actor and writer, Matten has raised her voice on behalf of Indigenous peoples, taken direct action on their behalf and consistently taken roles that portray them positively. She is a co-founder of Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy, which trains filmmakers in the Siksika Nation. “It’s beyond a deeply moving spiritual practice in itself to help another soul,” she says. “I am grateful that my portrayals have given me the space to re-enact aspects of what I actually have been doing for the last 20 years of my life ... to help progress the healing of our people for a better future.” Sheryl Lee Ralph Actor, producer, director A beloved figure for both her work and her activism, Ralph has been Emmy nominated three times (winning once) for her role on “Abbott Elementary” as a devoutly Christian kindergarten teacher. “I cherish the opportunity to bring depth, dignity and authenticity to the portrayal of ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Barbara Howard, a woman of faith, reminding viewers of the strength, resilience, and hope that such a character embodies in everyday life,” Ralph says. She also has manifested love through decades of AIDS activism, from founding the DIVA in 1990, to supporting Project Angel Food, to producing the recent Daytime Emmy-nominated short “Unexpected” about two HIV positive women who become activists. Jay Shetty Author, entrepreneur, podcaster Shetty’s path was always spiritual. As a boy, he spent summers with Hindu monks, and after business school, he spent three years as a monk himself. But his true calling was to merge the teachings he’d absorbed with digital communications. He started with YouTube videos, and in 2019, launched his podcast, “On Purpose With Jay Shetty,” which now boasts more than 35 million monthly downloads. His entrepreneurial projects include House of 1212, a purpose-driven talent and brand agency, and Juni sparkling tea drinks. “It fills me with so much hope that audiences are choosing to watch and listen to deep, meaningful and thoughtful discussions and that we have made mental health a mainstream cultural conversation,” he says.The decision to host the Amazon Global Sellers Summit in Nanjing underscores the city's growing importance as a hub for cross-border e-commerce activities. With the support of the local government, the event aims to accelerate the growth of high-quality cross-border e-commerce enterprises and encourage them to focus on areas such as intellectual property protection, brand building, and innovative business models. This initiative is poised to drive more enterprises to explore international markets and seize new opportunities for growth.Percentages: FG .333, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 0-16, .000 (Book 0-1, Gregory 0-2, Harris 0-2, Skinner 0-2, Dean 0-3, Helterhoff 0-3, McConnell 0-3). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 4 (Book 2, Dean, Skinner). Turnovers: 4 (Dean 2, Johnson, Skinner). Steals: 10 (Dean 3, Gregory 2, Harris 2, Book, Garcia, Skinner). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .527, FT .600. 3-Point Goals: 9-21, .429 (Mulibea 3-5, Meo 2-3, Martin 1-1, Abraham 1-3, Battle 1-3, R.Jones 1-4, Hines 0-2). Team Rebounds: 2. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: 13 (Amenhauser 5, Granger 3, Abraham, Brown, Hines, Meo, R.Jones). Steals: 3 (Meo 2, Brown). Technical Fouls: None. A_1,242 (3,600).

US low-income voters fear Trump may slash benefits: reportThe surge in stock prices across various sectors in the A-share market has been attributed to a combination of factors, including positive economic data, strong corporate earnings, and increased investor confidence. This rally has been particularly notable in technology, healthcare, and consumer goods sectors, reflecting the market's optimism towards these industries.

Leaving a vehicle running in an enclosed space, such as a garage, can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is emitted from the exhaust of vehicles and can quickly accumulate in enclosed areas, even with the garage door partially open. It is crucial to never run a vehicle in a closed garage, even for a short period, to prevent the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

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jilihot allin88 login registration Sable Resources Ltd. ( CVE:SAE – Get Free Report ) traded down 16.7% on Saturday . The stock traded as low as C$0.03 and last traded at C$0.03. 758,789 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 342% from the average session volume of 171,599 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.03. Sable Resources Stock Down 16.7 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$7.18 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.63 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 40.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$0.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$0.04. About Sable Resources ( Get Free Report ) Sable Resources Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Mexico and Argentina. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, and other deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Don Julio project covering an area of 63,314 hectares; the El Fierro project covering an area of 58,510 hectares; the El Fierrazo project, the Los Pumas project, and the Laspina project located in San Juan Province, Argentina; and the Vinata project and the El Escarpe project located in Mexico. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sable Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sable Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .WASHINGTON (AP) — Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military service academies dropped in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to new Pentagon data, marking a sharp turnaround from an alarming surge two years ago that triggered sweeping reviews and an overhaul in leadership . The decline in reports was mirrored by a similar decrease in the total number of students who said in an anonymous survey that they experienced some type of unwanted sexual contact during the school year that ended in the spring. Defense officials, however, warned on Thursday that the numbers are still high, and there is still a lot of work to be done. According to the survey, which is done every other year, about 13% of female students said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in the 2024 school year, compared with more than 21% in 2022. For men, the rate decreased from 4.4% to 3.6%. The reported assaults reflect familiar trends. Most of the alleged offenders are also academy students and are often known to the victim. They often happen after duty hours or on weekends and holidays. Drinking has long been a consistent factor. Beth Foster, executive director of the Pentagon’s force resiliency office, called the new numbers encouraging. But she added, “the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment is still far too high. What this data tells us is that this is a difficult problem for all, but it is not an impossible problem to solve.” A vast majority of students — 88% — responded to the survey. Defense officials said they are still concerned that, based on the survey, an estimated 783 students experienced unwanted sexual contact but just a small percentage reported it. The U.S. military and defense leaders have pushed improvements in programs, leadership training and staffing to encourage more victims to report so they can receive help and perpetrators can be punished. Defense officials released preliminary data much earlier than usual this year, and said the full report will go out in February. They said the early release was done to provide better information to school leaders who are implementing changes. However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will leave in January when President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and new leadership will take over the Pentagon. Trump and his pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , have vowed to eliminate “woke” policies fostering diversity and equity, and it’s not clear how any of that may impact sexual assault prevention efforts. Hegseth himself has been accused of sexual assault , which he denies, although he acknowledges making a settlement payment to the woman. Foster and others said Austin’s pressure on academy leaders to confront the problem led to a number of changes in how the schools foster better leaders and focus more stridently on sexual assault prevention. Related Articles National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport National News | About 2.6 million Stanley cups recalled after malfunctions caused burns. Is your mug included? National News | Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied National News | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases The total number of reported sexual assaults at the academies is divided in an often complex and confusing way. Academy and defense officials focus on the number of assaults reported by cadets and midshipmen during their school year. But students sometimes file reports after they leave the academies, describing incidents that happened when they were in school. The total is 106 for the 2024 school year, a sharp drop from 137 last year and 170 in 2022. The totals also decreased at each individual academy. Students at the U.S. Naval Academy reported 47 assaults, a slight dip from 49 the previous year. The other two saw significant decreases: Students at the Air Force Academy in Colorado reported 34, compared with 45 last year, and those at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York reported 25, compared with 43. In addition, eight students reported assaults last year that happened to them before they became students. The military services and the academies have struggled for years to combat sexual assault and harassment, with myriad prevention, education and treatment programs. But despite reams of research, and expanded programs, the numbers have grown. A renewed emphasis on it in the past several years has led to improvements and staff increases, although service members still complain that the videos and other programs are often outdated and don’t resonate as well with young troops.None

Trump urges US Supreme Court to delay TikTok banVasko's 4 TDs power Coastal Carolina past Georgia State 48-27 to become bowl eligible

Morgan Stanley CIO Mike Wilson warns the S&P 500 faces a decade of 'flat-ish' returns ahead — but shares 2 investments with high odds of making you 'pretty good money' in the next 3-5 years

Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled the country is charged after returning to US GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children for Eastern Europe has willingly returned to the U.S. Ryan Borgwardt is charged with obstruction, a misdemeanor. A not-guilty plea was entered by a judge Wednesday, a day after Borgwardt's return. The judge also set bond at $500 for the obstruction charge, though Borgwardt only has to pay if he violates the conditions of his release. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll says Borgwardt “came back on his own” because of his family. Investigators say the 45-year-old was living in the country of Georgia. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.

Trivially Speaking: Fun and games lead to ‘Brandy’ and musical memories

Minnesota looks to stop skid vs. Bethune-Cookman

Minnesota looks to stop skid vs. Bethune-CookmanRape allegation against Jay-Z will not affect NFL relationship, says chief

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk 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. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.

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A recent cohort study conducted in Denmark and Norway reveals a potential link between the use of semaglutide for type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Semaglutide is the key ingredient in Novo Nordisk A/S' NVO Ozempic and Wegovy, popularly used for diabetes and weight loss. NAION is a condition that causes sudden vision loss in one eye due to insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. Also Read: Eli Lilly's Zepbound Vs. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – Which Shows Greater Weight Loss? While the study underscores this association, it emphasizes that the absolute risk remains low. The analysis included 44,517 semaglutide users in Denmark and 16,860 in Norway, compared to initiators of SGLT-2is. Over the study period, 32 NAION events were recorded among semaglutide users—24 in Denmark and 8 in Norway. Unadjusted incidence rates of NAION among semaglutide users were 2.19 per 10,000 person-years in Denmark and 2.90 in Norway, compared to 1.18 and 0.92 among SGLT-2i users. After adjustment, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for semaglutide users was 2.81, with an absolute risk increase of 1.41 events per 10,000 person-years. While estimates were higher and less precise in Norway, results from Denmark provided more robust data. Sensitivity and supplementary analyses consistently supported these findings. A supplementary self-controlled study examined NAION risk further, finding standardized incidence ratios of 1.14 in Denmark and 2.67 in Norway. While these results indicated potential risks, they reinforced the rarity of the condition. Semaglutide users in both countries were younger and had fewer comorbidities, aside from a higher prevalence of obesity, compared to SGLT-2i users. The adjusted analyses accounted for these differences. A post hoc per-protocol analysis further strengthened the observed association, reporting a hazard ratio of 6.35. The study concludes that while there is a measurable link between semaglutide use and NAION, the absolute increase in risk is minimal. Researchers call for continued monitoring and further studies to explore these findings in larger, more diverse populations. According to research published in JAMA Network Open, the use of anti-obesity medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, was associated with lower incidence and recurrence of alcohol use disorder. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion on updating Novo Nordisk's Ozempic (once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide) label to reflect data from the FLOW kidney outcomes trial . Price Action: NVO stock is down 2.63% at $105.75 at the last check on Friday. Read Next: Alaska Air's 2027 EPS Target May Exceed Expectations Amid Growth Drivers: Analyst Highlights Single Loyalty Program Image via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

NoneLuxembourg – 11 December 2024 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced that Seaway7, part of the Subsea7 Group, has signed a vessel reservation agreement with Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm 1 for the transportation and installation of turbines for the Dogger Bank project, offshore the UK. Offshore works are expected to commence in 2026. This represents additional work for Seaway7 at this development, where it is currently installing monopile foundations and transition pieces. The value related to this substantial 2 agreement will be recognised in backlog in the fourth quarter. Dogger Bank Offshore Wwind Farm is a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). Subsea7 defines a substantial contract as being between $150 million and $300 million ******************************************************************************* Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industry’s partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs. Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Børs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62. ******************************************************************************* Contact for investment community enquiries: Katherine Tonks Investor Relations Director Tel +44 20 8210 5568 ir@subsea7.com Contact for media enquiries: Nikki Beales Communications Manager, Seaway7 Tel +44 (0)7843895292 nikki.beales@seaway7.com www.seaway7.com Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘future’, ‘goal’, ‘intend’, ‘likely’ ‘may’, ‘plan’, ‘project’, ‘seek’, ‘should’, ‘strategy’ ‘will’, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the ‘Risk Management’ section of the Group’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 12 December 2024 at 07:00 CET. Attachment SUBC Dogger BankST. PAUL, Minn. — Jared Spurgeon scored 1:00 into overtime and the Minnesota Wild beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday night. Kirill Kaprizov and Declan Chisholm also scored for the Wild, who are 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Filip Gustavsson stopped 25 shots. Fedor Svechkov and Ryan O’Reilly scored and Roman Josi had two assists for the Predators, who have lost four in a row — the last three in overtime. Juuse Saros had 25 saves. Spurgeon, who scored twice in Friday's win against Chicago, took a pass from Kaprizov in the slot and fired a high wrist shot that beat Saros for his third of the season. Takeaways Predators: Nashville is tied for the fewest road wins in the league with two, and this loss kicked off a four-game road swing that also includes stops in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Wild: For the second time in two nights, the Wild struggled to put away one of the bottom-dwellers in the Central Division. But they ran their record to 5-1-2 when tied after two periods and got just their second overtime win in six chances this season. Key moment With 3:44 to play in the third period, Zachary L'Heureux broke in alone on Gustavsson, but the Wild goalie kicked aside a wrist shot to keep the score tied. Minnesota Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm (47) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Credit: AP/Bailey Hillesheim Key stat The Predators are 1-6 in overtime this season, and all six losses were by a 3-2 score. Up Next Wild host Vancouver on Tuesday, while the Predators visit Toronto on Wednesday.Kotu ta soke hukuncin da ya hana jihar Ribas kudadenta

— A buck harvested near Wheaton in western Minnesota during the opening weekend of firearms season has tested positive for chronic wasting disease, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported on Thursday, Dec. 12. The adult male deer was harvested within Deer Permit Area 271 along the - border. To date, no wild deer with CWD had been previously detected in that area, nearby permit areas or near the Minnesota border in eastern South Dakota. “This discovery in western Minnesota, while unwelcome news, highlights the importance and necessity of our disease surveillance efforts and allowing hunters to test deer harvested anywhere in the state if they would like to,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Deer Permit Area 271 includes all of and small portions of northern and counties. It is located north of Big Stone Lake and the Minnesota River Valley habitat corridor. The permit area is heavily farmed with limited public lands and habitat. So far this year, the total deer harvest in that permit area totals 397, with 303 of the total being adult males, according to the DNR website. Following the detection near Wheaton, the Minnesota DNR will implement measures outlined in its CWD response plan, which calls for three consecutive years of testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease in Deer Permit Area 271 and surrounding permit areas. The Minnesota DNR also will work with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to coordinate surveillance of chronic wasting disease and management activities in the vicinity. Within deer permit areas where CWD has been detected and confirmed, the Minnesota DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, a deer feeding and attractants ban, and, sometimes, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits. In 2024, Deer Permit Area 271 will not be included in the CWD late-season management hunt that takes place Dec. 20-22. The adult male deer in that permit area that tested positive for CWD was harvested during the breeding season when deer are known to travel longer distances. Before deciding whether to remove additional deer in a CWD management hunt, the DNR will conduct surveillance in the fall of 2025 to better understand disease prevalence in the permit area.49ers' visit gives Packers a chance to damage the playoff hopes of their postseason nemesis

 

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Northern Youth Assembly criticises Deputy Senate President over contentious tax billsAudience Precision promotes Jessica Bray and James PorterThe 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP stands for “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The COP29 meeting was attended by representatives of 196 countries, including the heads of state and governments of 80 countries. This high number occurred even though some European states, especially France and the Armenian diaspora, actively called for a boycott against COP29. France encouraged several heads of state to refrain from attending the event. In addition to France's particular efforts at the beginning of COP29, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that unfairly criticized the presidency and Azerbaijan's global efforts to combat climate change in general. That is, France's ambassador to Baku, Anna Boillon, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and condemned such efforts of France. On the other hand, Armenia was also a part of this smear process from the beginning and tried to cast a political shadow over the COP29 meeting by bringing up the issue of signing a peace agreement before COP29. Therefore, while Azerbaijan was preparing to host a major event to make a positive contribution to global climate change, it had to fight against a serious disinformation and information attack. The COP29 presidency has put forward 14 initiatives covering topics such as the link between climate action and sustainable development goals, green energy zones and corridors, energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, agriculture, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, green digital action and more. Additionally, one of the initiatives includes the establishment of the Climate Finance Action Fund. The key goal of COP29 is to agree on how much money developed countries should provide developing ones to help them fight climate change, a critical plank in efforts to limit the damage caused by rising global temperatures. Different figures floating around in the press about the amount that could be collected. While developing countries were demanding more, developed countries were willing to give less. During this process, a G-20 summit meeting was held and the call made by Azerbaijan expected the support of the G-20 countries in these negotiations. Developing countries insisted on a target worth $1 trillion each year. According to the World Economic Forum, $1 trillion is a realistic and achievable number. While the negotiations were ongoing, the election of Donald Trump, who did not take climate change seriously, had a negative impact on the spirit of the talks. Donald Trump declared that he would remove the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord for the second time if he wins the presidency again. The negotiations were aimed to be completed by Nov. 21, but due to a deadlock caused by differences between developed and developing countries, the negotiation process was extended until Nov. 23. As of Nov. 23, rich countries pledged to contribute at least $300 billion annually to the global fight against climate change. The target, or new collective quantified goal (NCQG), will replace the existing $100 billion goal that is due to expire in 2025. U.N. General Secretary Anthony Guterres underlined that commitments must quickly become cash. All countries must come together to ensure the top-end of this new goal is met. While some delegations applauded the deal, others, especially from the developing world, expressed their deep disappointment at what they argued was an “insulting” financing target and the fact that the agreed text failed to build on an agreement passed last year calling for nations to “transition away from fossil fuels.” Developing countries who had sought over $1 trillion in assistance called the agreement “insulting” and argued it did not give them the vital resources they required to truly address the complexities of the climate crisis. At the end of COP29, countries also agreed on the rules for a U.N.-backed global carbon market. This market will facilitate the trading of carbon credits, incentivizing countries to reduce emissions and invest in climate-friendly projects. Alongside finance, the future of fossil fuels is at the heart of COP29, which has stirred disagreement from day one. It is not easy to avoid fossil fuels. On the one hand, the cost of renewing old infrastructure in the transition to green energy; on the other hand, the increasing world population and industrialization increase the demand for fossil resources. Renewable energy sources are insufficient to meet the demand in the face of a growing population. Mohamed Hamel, secretary general of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, went a step further in his praise for fossil fuels. “As the world’s population grows, the economy expands, and human living conditions improve, the world will need more natural gas, not less.” COP29 was also an excellent opportunity to attract international capital to invest in Azerbaijan's renewable energy resources. Azerbaijan is dedicated to international cooperation, sustainable development goals, and unlocking its green energy potential. This achievement will accelerate our energy transition efforts while enhancing our contribution to global climate objectives. Azerbaijan is one of the countries with a high potential for abundant energy sources. Thus, the potential of renewable energy sources, which are economically viable and technically feasible, is estimated at 27,000 MW, including 3,000 MW of wind energy, 23,000 MW of solar energy, 380 MW of bioenergy potential and 520 MW of mountain rivers. the technical potential of offshore wind energy in the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea is estimated at a total of 157 GW. Azerbaijan has started a "green energy" partnership with 7 international companies. As of 2020, cooperation with the energy projects of Masdar, ACWA Power, BP, Fortescue Future Industries, China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment, Total Energies, Nobel Energy, A-Z Czech Engineering and Baltech companies has started. During COP29 Azerbaijan concluded its first-ever renewable energy auction with technical assistance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The outcome of the competitive auction was announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29). The company Universal International Holdings Limited, which submitted the lowest bid for the price per kilowatt-hour of electricity, won the auction. The plant, which is planned to be commissioned in 2027, is expected to produce around 260 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will not only save about 57 million cubic meters of natural gas each year but will also reduce carbon emissions by 124,000 tons. One of the most important side effects of climate change is the decrease in water reserves. In this context, within the framework of COP29, the Declaration of Climate Action on Water was accepted for the first time in Baku. COP29 Presidency launched Water for Climate Action endorsed by 50 countries and non-state actors. This program commits to taking integrated approaches to combat the causes and impacts of climate change on water basins, paving the way for greater regional and international cooperation. To support these efforts, signatories will work together to strengthen the generation of scientific evidence on the causes and impacts of climate change on water resources and water basins, including through data sharing and the creation of new basin-wide climate scenarios. As a result, this agreement reached in Baku is a historic success in combating climate change. Although the demand for $1 trillion in developing countries has not been met, the annual target of $300 billion is more than $100 billion. For the agreement to be realized, developed countries must turn their promises into cash. On the other hand, we see that countries are taking steps towards transitioning to green energy. However, industrial developments and increasing influence in the world show that a gradual transition to green energy will be healthy.jilihot store

Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday chaired a meeting with the administrative secretaries of the state govt, emphasising the need to intensify efforts for capital creation and revenue generation . He stressed upon the need to plan strategic moves for accelerating the growth of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP). During the meeting held at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema also felicitated IAS officer Krishan Kumar for his “exceptional services” as the financial commissioner, taxation. The finance minister directed the officers to identify potential areas for capital creation within their respective departments. He also emphasised the importance of exploring neglected sectors, which may add to state govt’s revenue. We also published the following articles recently MLC emphasises quality education for children At a Billava community event in Kushalnagar, Congress MLC Hariprasad urged for increased educational opportunities, emphasizing their crucial role in nation-building. He pointed out the community's lack of government support despite its contributions and advocated for educational institutions similar to those dedicated to Narayana Guru in Kerala. Disability-Friendly City honour for state capital Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation has been recognized as a 'Disability-Friendly City' for its significant investments in supporting people with disabilities. Over 6.68 crore was spent in 2023-24 on initiatives like accessible infrastructure, scholarships for 304 students, pensions for over 7,000 individuals, and assistive devices. Govt neglecting UKP farmers needs: Karjol Chitradurga MP Govind Karjol has accused the Karnataka state government of shortchanging farmers in five northern districts. Karjol claims the government submitted a Supreme Court affidavit agreeing to a lower Almatti reservoir water level of 522 meters, impacting irrigation for 15 lakh acres. He argues the reservoir can hold water up to 524. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

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The decentralized platform that allows a developer to create and deploy their smart contracts has become something of a hotspot for building a DApp . As traction is being built with blockchain, many developers are eager to build their first DApp on Ethereum . However, there seems to be a stumbling block, and it's the reason many newcomers find it unapproachable. This article breaks down the essential steps for you to navigate and guides you through the creation of your first DApp on Ethereum. A DApp is a software that runs on a blockchain instead of a central server. The concept of DApps revolves around decentralization; no single authority controls the app's data or processes. Ethereum is a blockchain technology that allows DApps to facilitate the execution of smart contracts – a type of contract with the terms of the agreement directly written into lines of code. Ethereum is so popular for the creation of DApps due to its flexibility, extensive developer tools, and huge number of users. With its smart contracts, developers are free to create a range of decentralized applications that might involve anything from DeFi apps to games and marketplaces and much more. Any DApp is all about the smart contract, that self-executing contracts are programmed in code running on a chain in the blockchain world, namely Ethereum. Solidity is by far the most-used language for Ethereum smart contract development. When setting up a DApp, define the functionality in your smart contract . Popular use cases include financial transactions and token transfers. Smart contract definitions and logic dictate interactions of a user with DApp as they are used in a rule. For instance, when you are developing a DApp to track ownership of a digital asset, your smart contract will define how ownership is transferred, validated, and recorded on the blockchain. Once the smart contract is written, it has to be deployed on the Ethereum blockchain. But, though you can deploy on the Ethereum main net, you should first attempt to deploy your smart contract on a test network - either Rinkeby or Goerli. Test networks mimic the main net and make for a risk-free location where you can test out your smart contract without spending Ether. Deployment entails compiling the contract, preparing migration scripts, and then uploading the contract to the network using a tool like Truffle. Once deployed, your smart contract will have a unique address on the Ethereum blockchain, which is important for interacting with it from the front end of your DApp. The frontend of a DApp is where users interact with the application. This can be developed using traditional web development technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript . However, DApps require specific integration with the Ethereum blockchain, often through Web3.js or ethers.js. Web3.js is a front-end library that allows one to access the Ethereum blockchain and send any transactions or queries from one’s smart contract. It then communicates to the Ethereum Network through MetaMask, which allows the connection of the application to the blockchain by acting like a middleman between your browser and the blockchain. Once the smart contract is deployed and the front end is built, it’s time to test your DApp. Testing is an essential step to ensure that the smart contract and front end are working together correctly. Developers should also test the user experience, ensuring that transactions can be signed seamlessly through MetaMask and that interactions with the blockchain are smooth and intuitive. With a successful test, the last step is deploying your DApp to the Ethereum mainnet. This does require a little Ether (ETH), which is needed to cover gas fees - necessary to execute transactions in the Ethereum network. Testing on the mainnet will often be expensive, but using a testnet gives one a free space to experiment within the live blockchain. Once your DApp goes live, users will interact with it through MetaMask wallets, and you start gaining a user base while also improving functionality and scaling up the application. Building a DApp is exciting and very fulfilling on Ethereum, but all these things require very serious preparation and knowledge about tools and frameworks. The development environment, smart contract writing, deploying to test networks, and integrating a frontend with Web3.js enable developers to create secure, scalable, and user-friendly decentralized applications. The potential for innovation in the world of DApps is virtually limitless, and it will continue to grow in the Ethereum ecosystem. With these basic steps in mind, you're now ready to start building your very own decentralized applications on Ethereum.NoneLetter: Voice your support for the library

A TikTokker has revealed how a simple Ancestry DNA test may have solved a notorious 27-year murder mystery known as the Baby Garnet case — and landed her grandmother in jail. Jenna Rose Gerwatowski, 23, revealed in a clip viewed more than 1.3 million times since Wednesday that she decided to take a DNA test a few years ago merely because it seemed “dope.” “Little did I know,” she said with a chuckle — cutting to how a year later a detective from the Michigan State Police called her at work, scaring her that she could be in trouble. “I was like, ‘Excuse me? What the f–k did I do?’ So I start freaking out,” she recalled. Instead, the cop told her he had reopened a cold case from 1997 “and your DNA is a direct match to the victim of this case,” she recalled being told. Gerwatowski said she was only shocked when she was told it was about Baby Garnet, the well-known death of a “term or near-term” newborn found in an outhouse at Garnet Lake Campground in Naubinway, Michigan. Further official DNA testing confirmed Jenna’s mother was directly related to the child — meaning it had to be tied “to my mom’s mother,” Gerwatowski said of Nancy Gerwatoswki, 61, whom she had never met. “I was mind blown,” she said. “She is literally the f–king person they’ve been looking for for 25 years — and it’s all because of a f–king Ancestry DNA kit,” she alleged in the now-viral video. Nancy Gerwatoswki was arrested in 2022 and charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing the death of an individual, Click on Detroit reported. Nancy admitted being Baby Garnet’s mother, according to the local outlet. She is thought to have given birth to the child at home where it died of asphyxiation, before she left the body in the outhouse, according to the local outlet. Prosecutors argue that the baby could have been saved if medical help had been sought. In October 2023, Nancy was released on a personal recognizance bond and had to comply with GPS monitoring and home confinement. She faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel previously acknowledged the role of genetic advancements in solving long-standing cold cases. “This is a testament to the persistence of law enforcement and the power of science,” Nessel said in a May press release. “We are finally able to pursue justice for Baby Garnet, thanks to the tireless work of investigators and the technological progress that has made this possible.” The young TikTokker, meanwhile, said she never knew her grandmother — but knew all about the case she’s now charged with. “This was a big deal in the town I grew up in because it was so f—ked up,” she said.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Pete Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. Vice President-elect JD Vance offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, the embattled choice to lead the Defense Department. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vance told reporters during a tour of western North Carolina. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, left, joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, attends a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.In today’s newsletter, Alice Gregory on the philosophy of L. A. Paul, and then: Instagram’s favorite New Yorker cartoons Ingenuity and daring in “Nickel Boys” The coming purge of Trump 2.0 L. A. Paul Wants Us to Think About Our Selves To whom should we have allegiance—the version of ourself making choices, or the version of ourself who will be affected by them? Before she presented the paper that became her book “Transformative Experience,” L. A. Paul remembers thinking, “This is going to ruin my career.” She was forty-six, a philosopher with tenure at the University of Arizona, and she was asking her colleagues to consider the experience of having a child—a vital area of concern in millions of people’s lives, but rarely discussed in the world of academic philosophy. “It’s all going to be over, because here I am talking about babies .” In fact, the opposite happened. Paul won the 2020 Lebowitz Prize for philosophical achievement, and “Transformative Experience” has been translated into several languages and is widely read outside academic circles. It is an investigation of personal change, those “special types of situations that change not only what we know but also who we are,” Alice Gregory writes, in a Profile of the philosopher for this week’s issue. Childbirth, or going to war, or taking LSD, could be considered a transformative experience. So could divorce, Paul realizes, in the wake of her breakup after twenty-two years with her husband. Paul is now at Yale, and her work has been used by others to examine issues such as gender transitioning, whistle-blowing, treating Alzheimer’s—and it provides a framework for Gregory to reflect on aspects of her own pregnancy. “Choosing to undergo such an experience, on the occasions when choice is even possible,” Gregory notes, “requires us to violate who we take our current self to be.” Read or listen to the story » The Lede The Afterlife of Donald Trump’s Criminal Cases The President-elect is on the verge of beating most, if not all, of the criminal charges against him. In general, “Presidents have become less, not more, subject to criminal law,” Jeannie Suk Gersen writes, “and have become more, not less, likely to view criminal law as an option for use against political opponents.” What will be the long-term consequences? Read the story » The Scandal of Trump’s Cabinet Picks Isn’t Just Their Personal Failings Instagram’s Favorite New Yorker Cartoons in 2024 Great Books Don’t Make Great Films, but “Nickel Boys” Is a Glorious Exception Daily Cartoon Link copied Play today’s bite-size. A clue: 2024 W.N.B.A. Rookie of the Year Caitlin. Five letters. Shouts & Murmurs: My Kids Think I’m a Boomer P.S. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook California yesterday, prompting a tsunami warning. It wasn’t quite “the really big one,” a long-predicted quake that would be somewhere between 8.7 and 9.2 on the Richter scale and would leave the region unrecognizable. Read Kathryn Schulz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the next full-margin rupture , and follow up with her piece on how to stay safe when it comes. 🌊

 

50 jili slot

2025-01-15
2 chicken jollibee
2 chicken jollibee



Iowa governor sets special election date for Senate District 35, Cournoyer's vacated seat (copy)

Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbers

Bill targeting Missouri’s ‘puppy mill problem’ returns ahead of 2025 legislative session

Taoiseach Simon Harris tells Elaine Loughlin why he believes there is finally an opportunity to fix the housing crisis in Ireland. In the fourth installment of Irish Examiner series interviewing the main political party leaders ahead of the general election, Irish Examiner Political editor Elaine Loughlin talks to Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Simon Harris. In a comprehensive interview, Taoiseach Simon Harris acknowledges that the election campaign has not gone as smoothly as he would like in the run up to polling day on November 29. He outlines why he feels that there is finally an opportunity to address the housing crisis in Ireland - “we have money and a plan.” Although he rejects the idea of political legacy, he says he would like to ensure that every child in Ireland can reach their full potential “no matter who they are or where they come from”. Listen wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes throughout our Election 2024 coverage.KORE Announces NYSE Acceptance of Plan to Regain Listing Compliance

A lead organisation monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel’s “near-total blockade,” after the US asked for its retraction, US officials told Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the US ambassador to Israel. The rare public dispute drew accusations from prominent aid and human-rights figures that the work of the US-funded Famine Early Warning System Network, meant to reflect the data-driven analysis of unbiased international experts, has been tainted by politics. US ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew earlier this week called the warning by the internationally recognised group inaccurate and “irresponsible”. Lew and the US Agency for International Development, which funds the monitoring group, both said the findings failed to properly account for rapidly changing circumstances in north Gaza. “We work day and night with the UN and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs – which are great – and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible,” Lew said on Tuesday.OpenAI has announced plans to reorganize its organization into a public benefit corporation, aiming to attract heavy new investment to fuel the ambitious AI development goals set by the company. In a move disclosed on Friday, the maker of the ChatGPT has indicated a significant shift for it as it transitions from a nonprofit-backed model to an organization that balances profit and societal impact. The reorg was necessary since OpenAI came to realize a need for far more capital than was envisaged earlier. According to the startup, the landscape is getting stiff in competition at AI. The bigger industry players continue to shower billions of dollars in pursuit of research and development. The firm recently acquired $6.6 billion in funding in its final valuation of $157 billion, but profit caps in removal and acceptance of the PBC structure were subject to further investments. The planned restructuring will convert OpenAI’s for-profit arm into a Delaware-based public benefit corporation. This structure mandates the company to consider public welfare alongside shareholder interests. Meanwhile, its nonprofit entity will retain a significant stake in the PBC through shares, ensuring that the nonprofit remains among the best-resourced of its kind. OpenAI wants to raise ‘big’ capital to convert into public benefit corporation “ We need to raise much more capital than we initially thought,” OpenAI said in a blog post. “Investors are keen to back us but demand conventional equity at this level of funding.” This puts OpenAI in league with competitors such as Anthropic and xAI, which have followed similar arrangements to secure large-scale funding. For example, Amazon recently invested $4 billion in Anthropic, and xAI, owned by Elon Musk, raised $6 billion last month. However, the restructuring faces opposition. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI turned vocal critic, has filed a lawsuit claiming the company prioritizes profits over public good. Meta has also urged California’s attorney general to block OpenAI’s conversion, citing concerns over its commitment to its mission. According to legal experts, while being a PBC is an expression of dedication to profit and purpose alignment, its enforcement remains the willingness of shareholders to pursue the mission as expressed. Also, see: Watch video: Lamborghini catches fire on Mumbai’s Coastal Road, questions raised on safety standards

Eagles try to clinch NFC East title with Hurts' head injury looming largeNEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. People are also reading... "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!2 rescued after California wharf partially collapses due to heavy surf from major Pacific storm

Just as they did in 2024, Democrats lost the White House and both chambers of Congress in 2016. But they made historic gains in the first midterm election after Donald Trump's first victory. One member of Congress who was part of that midterm class is offering words of wisdom for the Democratic Party if they hope to repeat the successes of 2018. In a post to Bluesky , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also known by her initials "AOC," noted that her party "elected the largest class to Congress since Watergate" in the 2018 midterms. CNN reported that when the dust settled Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats . The only two larger midterm victories were the Tea Party-fueled 2010 midterms and the 1994 Republican wave during former President Bill Clinton's administration. AOC argued that a major part of that victory was "backlash" to Trump's presidency. But she emphasized that anti-Trump sentiment wasn't the entire story. "[T]he winners also had another thing in common, despite a wide range of differences: most rejected corporate PAC money," she weote. "It’s a hugely compelling factor to voters & underdiscussed." A 2018 article from Open secrets expands on Ocasio-Cortez's point. The article acknowledged that even though many Democrats were running in expensive and competitive races, they still managed to prevail over their Republican opponents despite losing the money race. ALSO READ: Multiple Republicans reveal plan to boot Mike Johnson as speaker "Fifty-two members of the 116th Congress — including 50 Democrats and 35 new members — pledged to reject money from corporate PACs before, during or soon after the 2018 election cycle," Opensecrets' Karl Evers-Hillstrom wrote. "Of the Democrat-dominated list, 32 members received little-to-no money — less than $10,000 each — from business-related PACs during the 2018 election cycle, according to new data from the Center for Responsive Politics." In a response to her initial skeet [the term used for Bluesky posts], AOC theorized that the reason the success of Democrats who rejected corporate PAC money isn't often discussed is because of the pervasive influence corporate money has on the American political system. "[L]ots of money and influence relies on pressuring electeds into taking corporate money and rejecting/reversing these no-lobbyist [money] pledges," she wrote. "I know members who went back on their promise and later lost seats to GOP. Voters want [people] who stand up to corruption." "It is hard to counter this combo of cynicism and lying without bonafide candidates who can throw a punch," she continued ., acknowledging that far-right conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. managed to tap into a groundswell of anger at the pharmaceutical lobby. "If we want to beat a right wing that weaponizes (justified!) public anger at Big Pharma to destroy the social safety net + spread conspiracies, we can’t run Dems who take money from Big Pharma." Click here to read AOC's thread in its entirety. President-elect Donald Trump’s signature economic plan of raising tariffs on imported goods could cause more harm to the economy than good, and offer a pathway toward a corrupt second administration , a columnist wrote Wednesday. Trump has long considered increased tariffs on certain foreign countries a “brilliant” strategy, but the reality is they could lead to disastrous effects and showcase how his first administration “could pale in comparison to his second” in terms of corruption, Paul Waldman wrote for MSNBC . “Trump believes that tariffs can do almost anything — force other countries to their knees, bring prosperity to the nation, even restore your sense of manly virility,” Waldman wrote. “Best of all, they can provide an avenue for him to reward those who please him, hurt those who fail to bend the knee, and maybe even use his office to make a few more bucks.” ALSO READ: Merrick Garland and his 'Justice' Department should never be forgiven The columnist built his case in his Friday opinion piece by offering readers as an example the “uneven rollout of tariffs” in Trump’s first term when the administration became “besieged by lobbyists, who filed thousands of requests for special exemptions and carve-outs to allow their clients to import goods and parts without paying the tariffs.” Waldman said Trump’s new proposal on tariffs, which promises to be more comprehensive than what he’s seen through in the past, “is a preview of the corruption to come.” “In a second term, Trump won’t just be doling out favors; he’ll also deliver punishments,” Waldman wrote. He concluded by reminding readers that the public is familiar with how personal Trump's views are toward companies and their CEOs, with the “determining factor” being “whether they treat him like the king he imagines himself to be.” “Firms looking at this history might reasonably decide that making good products isn’t enough to succeed; they also must win the goodwill of a petty and mercurial president, just as companies do in dictatorships around the world,” he wrote. Washington, D.C., residents are already concerned about Donald Trump coming after their city he's called a "filthy and crime-ridden embarrassment to our nation." Some are striking back, The Washington Post reported. Trump will host his inauguration outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, followed by a parade and several balls and events throughout the city. City residents have suggested blacking out rentals, leaving only expensive hotels and places in Virginia or Maryland. ALSO READ: The America-attacking Trump is coming for our military — and then he's coming for us Resident Stacy Kane began the movement along with friends, speaking to community groups and city council members. The goal is “to show Trump supporters who are coming into the DMV that we do not welcome hate, misogyny, or intentions to take over DC.” In 2020 , Trump's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol and planted bombs at the Republican and Democratic Party headquarters. Both locations are nested in Capitol Hill neighborhoods. Jan. 6 endangered residents , terrorizing families and those who work in the area. Inaugurations are typically joyous events with "much-needed January boost[s] for the District’s hospitality businesses at an otherwise slow period as crowds flock to the nation’s capital." But people who scared Washingtonians four years ago are returning along with a "president who has made more threats to D.C.’s autonomy than any other chief executive in modern history," the Post noted. “We have been discussing and planning for many months in the case that the district has to defend itself and its values,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters at a news conference after Trump was declared the winner. Kane wanted to “try to make any kind of difference that we can in the situation we find ourselves in as D.C. residents and just as human beings right now,” she told the Post. She has a day job but also operates a two-bedroom rental apartment in her home less than four miles from the Capitol. When Trump was inaugurated in 2017, the women's march against him resulted in a 94% occupancy rate, the Post cited Destination DC . “With a Harris win, the historic perspective would have brought in a huge number of people to the city,” said the group's CEO, Elliott Ferguson. He explained that first-term inaugurations generate more interest than repeats. As for Trump's second, "We’ll have to see," he said. While he expects some protest, Ferguson said that most won't be willing to give up the revenue. The destruction of Jan 6. cost $2.7 billion, according to a 2023 Government Accountability Office report . Read the full report here. Donald Trump is reportedly planning to go after the career prosecutors who worked under special counsel Jack Smith in the two federal cases against him — which legal experts have called a gross violation of precedent . But at least one Republican senator is laying the groundwork to cheerlead Trump's move, according to MSNBC's Steve Benen. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said on last weekend's "Meet the Press," that "First and foremost, the people involved with this should be fired immediately," and that those prosecutors investigated Trump "because they didn’t like his politics," noted Benen. Schmitt did not provide evidence for his statement. This is somewhat in line with what Trump's team has pushed, Benen wrote, with his incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying, “President Trump campaigned on firing rogue bureaucrats who have engaged in the illegal weaponization of our American justice system, and the American people can expect he will deliver on that promise. One of the many reasons that President Trump won the election in a landslide is Americans are sick and tired of seeing their tax dollars spent on targeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s political enemies rather than going after real violent criminals in our streets.” ALSO READ: Merrick Garland and his 'Justice' Department should never be forgiven Everything in this statement is wrong, Benen continued. "Members of the special counsel’s team aren’t 'rogue bureaucrats'; they’re law enforcement professionals who pursued highly credible criminal cases based on voluminous evidence. Meanwhile, there’s literally no evidence of 'illegal weaponization of our American justice system' — at least not from the last four years ." Additionally, Trump's win wasn't a "landslide" — just a narrow plurality — and crime has fallen under the Biden administration. Schmitt's endorsement of the plan, however, is a sign that Republicans in Congress aren't likely to be a check on how Trump interferes with the Justice Department, Benen concluded. Indeed, he wrote, Schmitt's language shows he "sees law enforcement as the bad guys in this story, and the defendant as the victim." "Keep this in mind if/when the incoming president starts targeting Smith’s colleagues early next year," he said.

What data shows about surviving a plane crash

UMASS 62, HARVARD 54