NEW YORK (AP) — A man accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames made an initial court appearance Tuesday and will remain in custody. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time.” Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The woman quickly became engulfed in flames, while the suspect then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be" while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. During Zapeta's court hearing on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said Zapeta at one point fanned the flames on the woman using his shirt. He said a 911 call from a subway rider helped identify Zapeta. Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he didn’t know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Zapeta was taken into custody Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognized him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the U.S. illegally. In a statement, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman” that would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day. Overall, according to authorities, crime is down in the transit system this year when compared to last year — major felonies declined 6% between January and November of this year and in 2023, data compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority show. But murders are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five in the same period last year. Earlier this month, a Manhattan jury acquitted Daniel Penny in the death of an agitated subway rider that the former Marine placed in a chokehold last year. The case became a flashpoint in ongoing debates over safety, homelessness and mental illness on the system. Policing the subway is also difficult, given the vast network of trains constantly moving between the system’s 472 stations, with each stop containing multiple entry points and, in many stations, multiple floors and platforms. On Sunday, police at the station where the woman burned to death were patrolling a different area and responded after seeing and smelling smoke, authorities said.
Brighton frustrated in goalless draw with BrentfordIn court papers made public Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books. The proposals include freezing the case until Trump is out of office, or agreeing that any future sentence wouldn't include jail time. Another idea: closing the case with a notation that acknowledges his conviction but says that he was never sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. The last is adopted from what some states do when a criminal defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether that option is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Judge Juan M. Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Expanding on a position they laid out last month, prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation during a president's time in office," but they were adamant that the conviction should stand. They argued that Trump's impending return to the White House should not upend a jury's finding. Trump wants the case to be thrown out in light of his election. His communications director, Steven Cheung, called prosecutors' filing "a pathetic attempt to salvage the remains of an unconstitutional and politically motivated hoax." Trump has fought for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He claims they didn’t and denies wrongdoing. Trump portrays the case as a political attack ginned up by District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other Democrats. Trump's legal team argues that letting the case continue would present unconstitutional "disruptions" to his upcoming presidential term. Trump's attorneys also cited President Joe Biden's recent pardon of his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of tax and gun charges. Biden complained that his son was unfairly prosecuted for political reasons — and Trump's lawyers say he was, too. Trump's lawyers argued that the possibility of a jail sentence — even if it's after he leaves office — would affect his presidency. Prosecutors suggested Merchan could address that concern by agreeing not to put him behind bars. It's unclear how soon Merchan could decide what to do next with the case. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the suggestions from prosecutors, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. He was scheduled for sentencing late last month. After Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump's prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump's conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump's four criminal indictments to go to trial. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case.
‘We didn’t have a good day’: Greens set to suffer significant election lossesKepler's Forerunner K2 represents the fifth generation of its humanoid robot technology. Footage from the streets of China captured a scene straight from a science fiction novel – spherical drones alongside patrolling law enforcement. Chinese robotics company, Logon Technology , unveiled the RT-G autonomous spherical robot in a release, saying it was a "technological breakthrough" designed to assist and even replace humans in dangerous environments. The spherical robots are capable of operating both on land and water. The robots can reach speeds of up to 35km/h (approximately 22 mph) and withstand impact damage of up to 8,818 pounds (4 tons), the company said. NO TENNIS PARTNER? NO WORRIES WITH THIS AI ROBOT Chinese company, Logon Technology, unveiled the RT-G, a spherical AI robot, aiding law enforcement with patrol. (Logon Technology) In footage, posted by TikTok user @di.q60 , a large spherical robocop was seen patrolling Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. The large robocop was flanked by 4 officers along the busy streets of Hangzhou, which has a population of nearly 12 million. The spheres have been designed by Chinese firm Logon Technology. (Logon Technology) Along with the robocop's intimidating presence, the robots are equipped with an impressive lineup of technological advancements . According to Logon Technology, the robots are powered by advanced AI. ROBOTIC SHORTS GIVE YOUR LEGS A BOOST TO WALK FARTHER AND TIRE LESS The company said that the RT-G will assist law enforcement by identifying and immobilizing criminals through using advance AI and using facial recognition technology. Robot dogs being used by police departments for patrol services. (CyberGuy.com) China's recent use of robots points to countries blending technology and traditional policing methods to enhance public safety. In the U.S., New York Mayor Eric Adams unveiled robotic dogs in April 2023. "We want the public to know that the use of these technologies will be transparent, consistent, and always done in collaboration with the people that we serve," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the unveiling. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The robotic dogs were designed to assist the NYPD in investigating high-risk or hazardous incidents. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten .
FORMER President Jimmy Carter has died at age 100. Carter , the 39th president of the United States , died today after nearly two years in hospice care. His son Chip Carter confirmed the former president died at his Georgia home on Sunday around 3:45 pm ET. Carter peacefully passed away surrounded by his family who paid an emotional tribute to the former leader. His son Chip said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. "The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Public events will commemorate Carter in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and a state funeral will be held, The Carter Center confirmed. The former president decided to live out the remainder of his days at his home in Plains, Georgia . Carter, the beloved Democrat and Nobel Peace Prize winner, had experienced several health issues in recent years including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. He became the longest-living president and the first to make it 100 years old. Carter's death came over a year after the death of his wife, Rosalynn Carter , who died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. Two days before her death, Rosalynn joined her husband in hospice care at their home in Georgia. The former first lady and fierce advocate for mental health was diagnosed with dementia in early 2023. Before his death, Jimmy Carter was the first to pay tribute to his wife of 77 years, "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. "She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me." During Rosylann's service in late November 2023, Amy, the Carters' daughter, read her father's love letter he dedicated to his wife while he was in the Navy. "My darling, every time I have ever been away from you, I have been thrilled when I returned to discover just how wonderful you are," Carter penned more than 70 years ago. "While I am away I try to convince myself that you really are not, could not, be as sweet and beautiful as I remember. "But when I see you I fall in love with you all over again. Does that seem strange to you? It doesn't to me. "Goodbye darling, until tomorrow, Jimmy." Jimmy Carter is survived by his four children, James, Donnel, Amy, and Jack, as well as 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carter served in the White House from 1977 to 1981. Prior to his presidency, he served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Carter was considered a longshot for the presidency when he announced his presidential campaign in December 1974. As a dark-horse candidate, Carter was not well-known outside of the home state of Georgia. However, Carter's two-year campaign trail paid off when he won the Democratic nomination and narrowly defeated incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford during the 1976 presidential election. Carter, who entered office in January 1977, took over a nation that was still reeling from the events of the Vietnam War, where approximately 59,000 US troops died on the frontlines. Two days after being sworn in as president, Carter famously pardoned all the draft evaders from the Vietnam War. But, his presidency was marred by rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions with foreign adversaries, including the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Carter's hopes for reelection eventually crumbled due to the Iran hostage crisis. On November 4, 1979, a group of militarized Iranian college students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage. The American public turned on Carter for his soft approach to the crisis, which lasted 444 days. The hostage crisis paralyzed his presidency and hampered his efforts at a second term. Carter would eventually lose the 1980 presidential election in a landslide to Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. After leaving the Oval Office, Carter devoted his life to diplomacy and human rights work . He founded the Carter Center in 1982, an organization with a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering, according to their website. The non-profit has worked to improve the quality of life for people in countries all over the world. In 2002, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work seeking peaceful resolutions to global conflicts, advancing human rights and democracy, and promoting economic and social development. The Carter Center also devoted some resources to ensuring free and fair elections and monitored the 2020 elections in the United States . Carter had mostly retired from the public eye in recent years, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and a cancer diagnosis in 2015. While Carter lived a more private life in his latter years, he was vocal in his opposition to certain political moves of the presidents who followed him. He disagreed with Reagan’s handling of peace in the Middle East and was opposed to the Iraq War under George W Bush. Carter criticized the Trump administration but also disagreed with his fellow Democratic president, Barack Obama, regarding the use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists. On his 96th birthday , the former president was honored with a parade of golf carts and other vehicles by local residents, which he and his wife observed from their residence while wearing masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the 2020 presidential election, Carter endorsed Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention and said via video, "Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the Senate ... For decades, he’s been my loyal and dedicated friend." To mark his first 100 days in office, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their home in Plains, Georgia. "We sat and talked about the old days," Biden told reporters afterward. Jimmy Carter was the longest-lived US president in history, surpassing George HW Bush, who was 94 at the time of his death. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos . Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSunWith the holidays taking up much of your time, you may not be concentrating on retirement moves to make before 2025. But if you’re the type of person who does everything to the max, investing in your future retirement now could be a game changer. In 2024, you can invest up to $23,000 into your 401(k) retirement plan as per IRS contribution limits. If you’re over 50 and need to play catch-up, you can invest an extra $7,500. That means your total possible contribution for 2024 is $30,500. If that seems like a lot, it is. But you don’t have to max out your contributions if you can’t afford it. Employer matching can help. In 2025, you can invest $23,500, bringing your possible contribution up to $31,500. If you’re over 50, the catch-up contribution remains at $7,500 for 2025. But a huge change was made in SECURE 2.0 for employees aged 60 to 63 who participate in workplace retirement plans. Starting in 2025, this super catch-up contribution limit is $11,250 instead of $7,500.  Figure out how much you contributed. If you’ve contributed as much as possible for the year, you’re in good shape going into 2025. If you’re not sure, you changed jobs or haven’t contributed consistently in 2024, you still have time to make adjustments to max out your 401(k) contributions for the year. Check your employer’s match. Employer matching is a job benefit not to be overlooked. After all, for every dollar you save in your 401(k), your employer matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar or offers a partial match up to a certain percentage of your wages. Knowing where you stand can help you make the most of this opportunity. For example, let’s say you earn $50,000 per year and contribute $3,000 to your 401(k), or 6% of your salary. If your employer offers to match 50 cents of each dollar you contribute up to 6% of your pay, they would add $1,500 each year to your 401(k) account, boosting your total annual contributions to $4,500. Look at your budget. Maxing out your 401(k) is always a good move. However, retirement planning can be a balancing act; sometimes, your budget is downright against it. If you have high debt or no money set aside for emergencies, you may want to hold off a bit. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute to your retirement plan at all. Maintaining contributions is important, even if it means not maxing it out. Still, if you wait too long to save, you’ll have to play catch-up. If you save too much, you may have to tap into your account early, which can mean early withdrawal penalties if you are under age 591⁄2. Boost your contributions. If you have enough cash stashed away to cover a large lump sum contribution to your 401(k), you could max out your 401(k) contributions before the end of the year. You can do this by increasing the percentage you contribute monthly from your paycheck. You’ll want to speak with your employer or HR department to see if this is possible and fill out the necessary paperwork. Keep in mind that how often you increase it or even if you can will depend on your plan rules. You may also want to check to be sure your contributions are still automatic. Since it’s usually easier to save money if it’s automatically deducted from your paycheck, it may be worth reviewing your budget to see if you can boost your contribution amount to max out your 401(k). If you haven’t set up automatic payroll contributions, now is a good time to do so. Maxing out your 401(k) has some clear benefits. This is especially true if you’ve fallen behind on your savings goals or you simply want to grow your retirement nest egg faster. The main advantage is that you’ll have more money saved for retirement. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2024 Planning & Progress Study, most retired Americans believe they will need nearly $1.5 million in the bank to retire comfortably. That’s a 15% increase — which far outpaces the 3% to 5% inflation rate — over 2023 and is up 53% from 2020. The money you put into your 401(k) lowers how much you’ll pay in taxes for the year, which may put you in a lower tax bracket. Also, 401(k) investments grow tax-deferred, so you won’t pay taxes on the money until you withdraw the funds in retirement. If you have a Roth 401(k), you don’t get a tax break on contributions because you fund your account with after-tax dollars. But the money you contribute grows tax-free and you won’t pay any taxes on your withdrawals in retirement. Maxing out your 401(k) each year may not be enough to retire comfortably, but it is a great start. That’s why enlisting the help of a financial adviser in 2024 can help you get a head start on 2025 and a happy retirement down the road. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, has died at 100
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Soccer-PSG beat Salzburg 3-0 to revitalise Champions League campaignUS homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Israeli troops burn northern Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north on Friday and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. It was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Parts of it were set on fire. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has a nearly total abortion ban and a porous safety net for mothers and young children. GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 argue that they are bolstering services for families. Recent research and an analysis by The Associated Press has found that from the time a Tennessee woman gets pregnant, she faces greater obstacles to a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child and a financially stable family life than the average American mom. Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic 'forever chemicals' Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex. State officials say the company's leaders kept using so-called “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks. The federal complaint alleges Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates polluted the air and water around 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland with chemicals that have been linked to certain cancers, reproductive issues and high cholesterol. They’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. The company stopped using the harmful chemicals in 2014 and says it’s working with state regulators on testing and cleanup efforts. Man indicted in burning death of woman inside a New York City subway train, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on state charges. A prosecutor announced Sebastian Zapeta’s indictment at a court hearing Friday. The development comes days after Zapeta’s arrest and subsequent police questioning in which they say he identified himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit. The indictment will be under seal until Jan. 7. He remains jailed. Federal immigration officials say the 33-year-old Zapeta is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. Authorities are continuing to work to identify the victim. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.The Chargers made it official, announcing they have activated running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve. Dobbins will play in Saturday’s game against the Patriots after missing the past four games with a knee injury. Dobbins has 158 carries for 766 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games. Gus Edwards was ruled out with an ankle injury, so the timing of Dobbins’ return is good news for the Chargers. The team also announced it has elevated safety Eddie Jackson and safety Kendall Williamson from the practice squad. Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowler, played nine games with four starts with the Ravens before his release Nov. 23. The Chargers signed him to the practice squad Dec. 23. He has 30 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed this season. Williamson, a seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2023, made his NFL debut last week against the Broncos. He made a tackle in 17 defensive snaps and 10 on special teams. He also has spent time with the Bears and Bills before he joined the Chargers practice squad in October.
It’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Here are the stores that are open and closed on Christmas 2024
Inter Milan veteran Stefan de Vrij hailed his team’s performance in a disheartening 1-0 UEFA Champions League loss at Bayer Leverkusen. The Dutch veteran talked to Inter TV after the game via FCInterNews , stating the Nerazzurri played ‘as a team’ despite being on the back foot for most of the game. It was one of Inter’s weakest performances of the season. Given the team’s mood before the game, it was a bit surprising. Indeed, Simone Inzaghi’s charges had been on a 13-game unbeaten streak ahead of Tuesday’s trip to the BayArena. Furthermore, the defending Serie A champions entered round six as the only team yet to concede in this Champions League campaign. However, Nordi Mukiele’s 90th-minute winner broke Inter’s resilience. More importantly, the Frenchman’s strike saw Leverkusen leapfrog the Italian giants into second. With two games left, Inter must get back on track to lock down automatic knockout qualification. Stefan de Vrij Praises Inter Milan Team Spirit After Bayer Leverkusen Upset “We played a good game, but there’s room for improvement,” De Vrij admitted. “We played as a team, helped each other, and defended well against a very strong side. “It’s a shame about the goal conceded at the end.” De Vrij concedes he and his defensive colleagues had to deal with a formidable attacking force. “Yes, they are quality players who move a lot,” he added. “It required a lot of focus from everyone, but for the most part, we managed it.” Inter’s European adventure resumes on January 22 when they head to the Czech Republic to take on Sparta Prague. That’s more than enough time for Inzaghi to rally his troops. “Yes, we’ll think about the Champions League later because now there’s the league,” De Vrij stated. “In the Champions League, we know there are two matches left, and we’ll play to win them.”
It’s an intriguing vision for the future of renewable energy. Giant white blimps slipping silently through the air carrying containers of solar panels, or, more likely, wind turbine blades which are expensive and devilishly tricky to move by road. One of the biggest logistical challenges for renewable energy projects – and wind farms in particular – is the task of transporting heavy towers and turbine planes from ports to the project sites. And finding a solution to this is the aim of French company Flying Whales, founded by entrepreneur Sébastien Bougon, who has already established bases in France and Canada and is now looking at opportunities in Australia. “We looked at the market in Australia and there was a fantastic surprise, how much you are revamping your energy generation and energy network,” Bougon told “What we do today is work with all players to look at their business cases. For instance, wind farms in Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland or in Western Australia, and work with those companies to check out the technical feasibility, to check out the financial feasibility, and to confirm that when we [start operations in] 2028, everything is OK.” Bougon is focused on metrics like the huge numbers of turbine blades needing to be installed in Queensland alone – as many as 40,000 in the coming year. Mt Isa in Queensland’s north-west has already been announced as one of the company’s six operations sites, with a second site imminent. Bougon also sees opportunity in new and replacement transmission infrastructure along Australia’s strung out grid. A helicopter can carry 5 tonnes of weight, or a fifth of a transmission tower. Bougon says one of his airships could carry the whole thing – in a cargo hold inside the “belly of the whale” or attached to the bottom if it’s more than 100m long – to a remote site fully assembled, and do it more cheaply. Flying Whales is yet to take ownership of a completed model; engineering is complete, testing is underway, assembly is next and the first airship – a 200m long behemoth called LCA60T – will be ready in 2026 for certification. Cutting out road transportation could improve project economics, says aviation researcher Craig Neal, who wrote a paper on the feasibility of heavy airship transport in 2016. “Using airships to move renewable energy equipment is definitely feasible,” he told “What’s attractive with airships is they can make the actual transportation much simpler. It’s extremely complicated, takes a lot of planning, there is a lot of cost involved, and it’s very slow.” But there are also some big question marks over critical details. A wind industry source from a large global company suggested that airships would require their own set of infrastructure, such as a suitable lay-down ‘airport’ area with a tethering tower and a similar set-up at port, and all would need to be approved by aviation regulator CASA. And as another pointed out, wind sites tend to be windy. Figuring out how to deal with an aircraft that is lighter than air to deliver equipment to those areas could be the sticking point in any future featuring blimps. “Wow, incredible. It’s a pretty wild idea,” were the first comments out of the mouth of Stromlo Energy cofounder Garth Heron when asked about the prospect of airship deliveries. Airships wouldn’t be suitable for moving a giant 477 tonne grid transformer, in New South Wales (NSW), although the third iteration of a model proposed by US company AT2 Aero could carry up to 450 tonnes. But Heron points out that shipping wind turbine blades by air could be more dangerous than other methods. “The component that they will be thinking of moving that are the most difficult to move are things like turbine blades,” he told . ‘What wind turbines are very good at is catching wind. [So] on the safety aspects they would have some incredible challenges.” Heron says the amount of movement that can happen even when lifting a blade from the ground with a crane is “quite scary”, so safety while loading and unloading is the biggest problem an airlifted blade would pose for airship transportation. Another wind industry source says deliveries would be reliant on wind speeds on the day, potentially making airship deliveries less reliable than the more laborious road method. While some companies are proposing models that are loaded while on the ground, Flying Whales’ method is to use a “sling” to lift and lower cargo into an airship’s hold while in the air. Bougon acknowledges the concerns around wind and reliability, but says they have built in safeguards against this as part of the original design brief. “Our airship is actually a flying crane and when a crane installs blades on masts there can’t be a lot of wind, so it’s exactly the same for us,” he says. The wind speed limitation while loading is the same as for a helicopter, of 40km/hour, if a helicopter was doing the same job. The wind speed limit a Flying Whales airship could take during flight is 100km/hour, he says. The whole thing is stabilised with 4 megawatts (MW) of engines placed around the airship. “We have 4 MW of embedded power around the airship [in] 32 electrical engines [powering] 32 propellers in order to stabilise it and ensure perfect behaviour,” Bougon says. “Electric engines can distribute the forces all around and you can stablise the drone much easier than it’s exactaly the same as the aisrship, as soon as we could have electrical engines,... we could have complete stabilisation. “It’s the evolution of the electric propellers and engines that could make drones happen, that could make this large airship feasible in terms of stabilisation when you load and unload.” Other challenges also abound, such as the issue of variable buoyancy. This is where an airship needs to account for the change in weight during drop off and pick up of loads. Releasing helium – priced at $35/cubic metre – isn’t feasible. Flying Whales plans to carry up to 60T of water as ballast, while LA-based Aeros has developed a compression system, where helium is compressed and released inside the airship depending on the need. If airshippers can convince renewables developers of their safety, they will then be able to appeal to their wallets: cutting out some tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in road upgrades between ports and sites. “The issue is really about the cost of the road upgrade. That’s the problem this could potentially solve,” Heron says. Logjams on roads is an issue that wind developers in Queensland are already worried about. A last year into wind equipment transportation by the Queensland Transport and Logistics Council outlined just how complicated the process is to move very heavy items from port, through towns and into regional areas. “QTLC members have raised concerns regarding inefficiencies and constraints in current wind farm development processes, from the initial development application process through to the transportation of componentry and materials,’ the report said. “If nothing is done, with the increase in wind farm projects coming online, these inefficiencies and constraints have the potential to significantly impact wind farm project delivery and increase costs.” Flying Whales is the only airship proponent seriously targeting Australia as yet, but it’s not the only company out there. Hybrid Air Vehicles in the UK has already built and tested its pilot “flying bum” airship. Also in the UK are SkyLifter, Varialift Airships and Aeromechanics. Lockheed Martin spun its airship division out into AT2 Aerospace in the US, while Aeros, Blimp Works and Solar Ship are also based in North America. Israel has Atlas LTA Advanced Technology, Argentina has Aero Vehicles and France also has Euro Airship. Aviation researcher Neal speculated in his 2016 paper that airships would be doing the heavy lifting in Australia by 2020. He says today the reason why that forecast didn’t happen is money. “I think it’s been the age old story of investment. The funding has always been the issue,” he says. “When Boeing developed the Boeing 787 [Dreamliner] it was some phenomenal amount of money they spent, something like $35 billion or something. If you had a fraction of that money going into airships we’d have different models running.” Neal’s 2016 research focused purely on the economics of what airships might be useful for, and said the oversize overmass (OSOM) market was where gains could be made. “They have the ability to vertically takeoff and land like a helicopter; to operate over long distances; and to carry vast cargo loads in terms of weight, volume and dimensions. Yet, depending upon the size and model of cargo airship, their cost per freight tonne kilometer (FTK) may be at a comparable cost to general road freight and significantly cheaper than current air freight,” he wrote at the time. “The nature of the item being transported, the level of difficulty in the route taken, time of year, weather conditions and many other variables can make the level of planning and coordination required for these movements highly resource intensive. “To date there hasn’t been a practical alternative to get an OSOM item to site, as rail and traditional air (both fixed wing aircraft and rotary wing) have limitations which make their employment unfeasible.”
Miss Rev is quite beside herself. The Texas A&M College of Architecture made a life-size 3D printed model of the mascot Reveille X that is now on tour at various places in Aggieland. It is currently on display in the rotunda at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum through Dec. 2. “It’s a great location for people to come. The rotunda’s free and we get a lot of traffic this time of year,” said Amy Raines, the museum’s marketing and communications director. “She’s going to be here during the first time that we play the University of Texas in 13 years. It’s going to be a huge week next week.” The library and museum will be closed Thanksgiving Day but open all other days. “We would love all of the game traffic to be able to come over here and visit her and see her,” Raines said. According to Kelsy Hustead, director of marketing and communications for the College of Architecture, the idea to make a model of Miss Rev came out of a brainstorming session about ways to demonstrate the capabilities of the college’s Innovation Hubs. “When we were brainstorming how to showcase the amazing work of our College of Architecture Innovation Hubs, we thought, 'Why not Reveille? She’s the Queen of Aggieland!’” Hustead said. “In collaboration with the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, this 3D printed Reveille is a testament to the ingenuity of our MarComm team, our Innovation Hub team members, and the power of this technology. It’s been a fantastic way to engage the Aggie community and demonstrate the endless possibilities of 3D printing.” Along with the model there is a two-minute video showing the process of making the 3D Reveille. It is also available on YouTube. Langford Innovation Hub Supervisor Alex Nipper oversaw the project and did a lot of the work himself. “This was a really fun project for us and the outcomes have exceeded all of our expectations,” he said. “It was great to collaborate with those from the Corps of Cadets and I hope we can continue to collaborate with them and other university and city entities in the future.” The project began last spring when Reveille X was brought in to be scanned. Her handler brought her into the scanning room where she was photographed by 66 DSLR cameras. “We baited her with cheese. She didn’t want to be in the room,” said Sarah Wilson, marketing/ communications manager for the College of Architecture. According to Nipper, the model stands about 31 inches tall, weighs just over 20 pounds, and took 9.5 kilograms (almost 21 pounds) of PLA (Polylactic Acid plastic) filament to print. A digital 3D scan of Miss Rev was taken to the ILSQ Innovation Hub and printed using the BigRep ONE printer. It took 69 hours to complete. Nipper then hand-painted the model. “The painting process took about a week, maybe two weeks, but it was mostly time spent letting the paint dry completely before layering on another coat of paint,” he said. “The actual painting time is approximately four or five days. I used about nine different colors of paint on the model; she has a lot of different colors in her fur that I really had to narrow down to the most essential ones. I think I got it pretty close, but we had the real Reveille meet the 3D printed model after painting and her actual coat was slightly darker than the paint I chose for her.” A football field pedestal was made at the RELLIS Innovation Hub to display the model. The video shows Reveille X returning to meet her lookalike for photographs, but the meeting wasn’t as amicable as it looked. “She came back and met her own twin," Wilson said. "She was not interested in her own twin.” The 3D Miss Rev has been on tour around campus and the community. When it leaves the Bush museum it will head to public libraries. It will be at Bryan’s Clara B. Mounce Library from Dec. 9-16 and then the Larry J. Ringer Library in College Station from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2. The primary reason for making the 3D Reveille is to demonstrate the creative capabilities of the Innovation Hubs and Makerspace in the College of Architecture. The 3D printers and laser cutters are available to students, faculty and staff at Texas A&M. Pricing varies depending on the project. To learn more, visit arch.tamu.edu/about/facilities/makerspace/ .Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in BarcelonaAnxiety about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high on list of American's concerns Limiting your news consumption may help ease stress and anxiety More than before, Americans surveyed say they'll make mental health resolutions for 2025 FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people's lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly opinion poll series. The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your mental health , experts say. "If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” Dr. Marketa Wills , medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important," Wells said in a news release. According to the APA's research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media break (30%) Journaling (29%) “A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” Wills said, adding that “any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.” More information The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has more on stress and anxiety management. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association (APA), news release, Dec. 13, 2024; APA, press release, Dec. 18, 2024 If you make resolutions, consider starting or re-starting a practice that will nurture your mental health, such as meditating or taking a break from social media.
South Korea’s parliament impeached Acting President Han Duck-soo, dealing another blow to a government already reeling after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suspension less than two weeks ago for his brief martial law decree. Lawmakers voted 192-0 in favor of Prime Minister Han’s impeachment on Friday, according to National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. He said before the vote that a simple majority in the 300-seat parliament was needed for the motion to pass, instead of the two-thirds required to suspend a president. The main opposition Democratic Party, which holds 170 seats, filed the motion to impeach Han on Thursday after he resisted pressure to immediately appoint three judges to the Constitutional Court, which would boost the likelihood of a ruling to finalize Yoon’s removal from power. Dozens of ruling party members protested by chanting slogans calling for Woo’s resignation and boycotting the vote. Han said in a statement that he would respect the National Assembly’s decision and suspend his duties. This is the first time an acting president has been impeached in South Korea. Han took over the role after Yoon was impeached by parliament following his Dec. 3 decision to impose martial law, a move that was reversed six hours later. The crisis has rattled financial markets and disrupted Seoul’s diplomacy efforts with partners like the U.S., all while the country’s facing mounting economic challenges and nuclear threats from North Korea. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who now steps in as interim leader, said he will work to minimize any confusion in government operations. He has also instructed the Joint Chiefs of Staff to increase monitoring of North Korea to prevent any provocations that might arise, he said in a statement. It would be nearly impossible for Choi to effectively manage all the roles including finance minister, acting president and acting prime minister simultaneously, according to Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University in Seoul. “This is not a normal situation in a country,” he said. The South Korean won declined 0.6% against U.S. dollar after the vote. The currency earlier fell as much as 1.1% to the lowest since 2009 on Friday. Han said in an emergency public address Thursday that he would hold off on approving the three judges nominated by parliament. He added that the right to approve the judges rests with the president of the nation. Choi didn’t indicate in his statement whether he would follow Han’s position on the appointment of judges. The Democratic Party has called on Choi to make the appointments immediately. Court Process The court, which can still rule with six judges, held its first pre-trial hearing Friday and has until June to make a decision. Yoon has vowed to fight in court, saying he declared martial law to protect the nation from an opposition that’s trying to paralyze the government with impeachment motions and cuts to budget plans. The case against the president is more important and urgent than any other impeachment motion involving government officials, Constitutional Court judge Cheong Hyungsik said at the hearing on Friday, according to a pool report. The court has scheduled the next preliminary hearing for Jan. 3. The political turmoil adds to the risks facing South Korea’s economy, which is expected to grow at a slower pace next year. Export momentum is weakening due to lower semiconductor demand, and companies are bracing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his protectionist policies. Recent surveys show confidence among South Korean consumers and businesses has slumped the most since the Covid-19 pandemic. Policymakers have pledged “unlimited liquidity” if needed to reassure market participants and mitigate the economic fallout. The central bank said it would cut its benchmark interest rate next year while considering financial risks and economic conditions. Shin said the political uncertainty could spark an outflow of foreign capital. This would worsen the balance sheets of companies due to their large amounts of dollar-denominated debt, he added. —With assistance from Jaehyun Eom and Shinhye Kang. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
DA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump's hush money case while upholding convictionChildren’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said the party could not buck the trend in Ireland of junior coalition partners in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments losing support in subsequent elections. He said they expected to retain two to three seats out of the 12 they had won in the 2020 election on the back of a worldwide “Green wave”. “Undoubtedly it’s a disappointing result for our party today,” Mr O’Gorman told reporters in Ongar, Dublin. “It’s hard for a smaller party in government, that’s long been the tradition, the history in Ireland. We hoped going into the election to buck that but we haven’t been able to buck that today.” Mr O’Gorman, a candidate in Dublin West, is among the outgoing Green Party TDs in a battle to retain their seats. Culture Minister Catherine Martin, who is fighting to remain a Green Party TD for Dublin Rathdown, said it was a “very tight” race in her four-seat constituency. “We go in (to government) not afraid of that because the issue of the climate and biodiversity crisis is (greater) than our survival,” she said on RTE Radio. “I stand over and am proud of our track record of delivery.” Green candidate in Waterford Marc O Cathasaigh said he would not be “in the shake-up” to retain his seat in that constituency, while junior minister Ossian Smyth looks at risk of losing his seat in Dun Laoghaire. Junior minister Joe O’Brien is expected to lose his seat in Dublin Fingal, Neasa Hourigan is at risk in Dublin Central, while Wicklow’s Steven Matthews garnered just 4% of first preferences. Former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who announced his retirement from frontline politics in June, said his party had not had a good day. Arriving at the count centre at the RDS in Dublin, the outgoing environment minister told reporters: “If you don’t get elected you accept that, but you come back stronger and you learn lessons, and we’ve done that in the past and we will do that again.” He added: “No matter what the results today there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland, we have deep roots in the community and it’s a very distinct political philosophy and I think there is still space for that in Irish politics, for sure.” Mr Ryan said he did not believe his decision to retire, and the timing of his announcement, had affected the party’s showing. “Unfortunately – and this is just one of those days – we didn’t get the number of votes,” he said. He added: “We’ll look back and see what are the lessons, and what can we learn and what can we do differently. “It’s just one of those days when we didn’t have a good day.